Coup D'Etat
by feverishdarkness
Summary: Post-Game. No matter what the circumstance, the Composer’s seat will always be a highly sought after position in Shibuya. Forced to flee from the UG for his own safety, Joshua disdainfully seeks aid from his former proxy Neku Sakuraba. JoshuaxNeku.
1. Chapter 1

Coup D'Etat

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 1**

'This shift of power...it's becoming a lot more prominent. Funny, only I seem to notice it. Not even Sanae...then again, it's my job to notice these things. And how can I deny what's becoming so painfully obvious? Perhaps a ... hiatus is in order, as Sanae suggested...as much as I hate to admit it, he's probably right. Getting out of the limelight for awhile may be the best move on the chessboard right now.'

Pushing all his disgruntled thoughts aside, the lanky silveret continued down the quiet backstreet of Shibuya. He had remembered, vaguely, where his destination was from prior discussions, but he had seriously doubted he would ever need to go there. 'Things change, I suppose. Oh well '.

The teenage-looking male continued walking, feet dragging slowly along the sidewalk. Pale violet hues stared ahead at the setting sun and then towards a small brown house nestled against grey ones. Equally pale lips curled up into a grin as his pace hurried slightly, towards the prior-stated building.

The male trekked up the small stoop and lingered at the front door. Calculating eyes swarmed over it before, with a poised smirk, he reached out and knocked twice, willing himself to remain as nonchalant as ever.

Neku had been in the middle of undressing for bed when the knocking sounded. Frowning, he glanced at the digital clock perched on his small bedside table and reconfirmed the time as far too late at night for visitors. He almost dismissed the knocking as his imagination but an eerie prickling on the back of his neck gave him the feeling that he would regret it if he neglected to answer the door.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't take this time. Sluggishly, he finished buttoning up his pajama top and trudged downstairs, flicking on the lights in the hall as he muffled a yawn. His father was, as usual, irresponsibly absent. Neku then unlocked the front door and swung it open.

It was only after that his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness and took in the familiar visage of his (much hated) former partner, haloed by the neon glow of Shibuya, did he regret not having checked who his guest was.

He slammed the door shut.

Joshua had barely the chance to part his lips to offer a snide greeting before his vision of Neku was lost. Smirking lips fell instantly into a frown. His eyebrows knitted together as the Composer childishly folded his arms to his chest, eying the door with much disdain. "My my, you haven't changed a bit," he called out, absently licking his lips.

On the other side, Neku's heart was beating like a drum. The entire situation was far too surreal. It had been weeks after the final Game and there had been no _hint_ of Joshua ever popping up again and he had began to repress his memory of him, trying to forget how he looked or sounded like.

Neku almost convinced himself that he had fallen asleep while changing and the pale figment of his imagination behind his door was just that, a figment of his imagination. But that was just wishful thinking. He called back furiously, stubbornly not wanting to talk face to face just yet, "and unfortunately, neither have you! You can't just _barge in_ people's houses whenever you feel like it!"

Joshua inwardly, and outwardly, smirked widely at that. "So rude, Neku. Slamming the door in a guest's face and then hollering at them? Have you no manners, still?"

The silveret sighed and glanced over his shoulder back at the darkening streets of Shibuya. His gaze traveled up and down the deserted streets, body tensing slightly. It was unsafe and unwise for him to be out and alone on the streets after what had happened the night prior. With a determined scoff under his breath, Joshua turned back to the door. "Neku, stop being a brat and open this door before I kindly open it myself. And I don't think you'd like to see your front door busted, would you?"

Neku was tempted to just leave the Composer out on the cold streets, but he wouldn't put it pass him to throw a tantrum and demolish the entire _street_, let alone the poor front door. He propped it back open and stood squarely in front of the other boy, arms crossed at his chest and not budging an inch. "Well, what do you want?" he asked, affecting a bored tone, "Spit it out so I can go back to bed. Like any other _sane_ person at this hour."

"Sane? When have you ever been sane?" Joshua questioned amusedly as he brought his hand through his hair, gaze never leaving the other. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" he wondered, avoiding the question as to what he wanted entirely. "It's common courtesy, after all."

Neku's body language practically radiated inhospitality. "Just tell me what you want and go away," he demanded and made as if he was going to shut the door if Joshua's reply was not to his liking. "I'm not in the mood for one of your games, Joshua!"

"Tsk tsk, getting mad at me already?" Joshua teased as he promptly glanced down at his nail, inspecting a nonexistent piece of dust beneath it. After a moment, he dully looked back up to Neku. "I'll tell you once I get comfortable. You owe me that much, my proxy," he stated coolly.

The orange-haired boy could only flinch at the unpleasant connotations that word had brought up. "...fine," he acquiesced with reluctance. Glaring hard at the unwelcome intrusion into his normal life, Neku opened the door a little wider and stepped to the side and bit down hard on his teeth to avoid taking back the invitation.

Joshua grinned complacently as he entered the house, doing a quick, inaudible scan. "Hm...Looks decent enough," he mused out loud to himself before turning back to look at Neku. "Where's your living room? Do you have one?"

Neku slammed the door shut in response, and looked disappointed that Joshua had entered too fast for him to catch him with it. He took a steadying breath and silently led the way down the hall, not trusting himself enough to speak with civility.

Joshua giggled quietly, and rather fondly, behind his hand as he followed the other, his free hand nestled deep in his pocket. "Did I catch you in the middle of something, Neku? You seem awfully distracted," he wondered, words trailing off as if he really didn't care about the answer.

"What part of, 'so I can go back to bed', don't you understand?" Neku groused out. He entered a darkened room and groped blindly at the wall before flicking on the light switch, almost tripping over a stool that he had forgotten he had left tipped over. Fatigued from a long day, he directed all his remaining energy into a ferocious glare. "Ok. Talk. The sooner you're done the sooner you can get the hell out of my life again."

Joshua snickered at the other teen's behavior before casually taking a seat on the couch. He relaxed, letting his tense arm slacken a bit. His left fingers came across his body to gently rub at the sore muscles on the right, and then fell away when his gaze redirected itself back to his 'host'.

"Need a place to...relax for a few days. A Composer's work is never done, but I feel the need to go on a small sabbatical, ease my woes, to say the least. And who else can I come to? You'll always be my proxy" the silveret explained, the last bit being sarcastic and pathetically cheesy.

Neku raised a skeptical eyebrow and raked a hand through his bangs. "Right," he scoffed, "after what was it... almost half a year without a word from you and then you just pop up one night for a _vacation_? Forgive me if I don't fucking believe you." He scrutinized the boy who was making himself at home with assessing eyes, and noticed a strange stiffness that the Composer was holding himself with. Something that was deeply at odds with the careless grace that he remembered.

Joshua swiftly rolled his eyes and rested his head back against the couch. "What could I gain from lying to you in the RG, Neku?" he asked politely and stared up at the ceilings, silver bangs framing his refined facial features in the dim light.

Neku huffed, arms once again crossed. His legs were beginning to get tired but he preferred to stay standing in case he had to make a run for it. "Unless you're still holding back some of my memory, I remember that you never do _anything_ without a motive," he said, deadpan. "So, are you going to tell me what the hell's wrong with your arm?" It appeared that three weeks in the Game had done much for his observational skills.

Joshua paused, noticeably frigid for a moment. His calculating gaze flickered to something distant, human, and then reverted back to that empty and sarcastic stare he was used to giving.

"My arm? It's still attached, isn't it? That means it isn't that big of a deal, hm?" the Composer responded calmly, though there was an undertone of gloominess beneath the pile of insouciance.

The former Player narrowed his eyes at the obvious attempt at diversion. He detected that Joshua's already pale complexion was bordering on unhealthiness. "Cut the crap," he insisted, "what are you doing here? You're obviously injured."

"I told you, Neku," Joshua reiterated and waved his good hand offhandedly, eyes absently looking to the right. "It's nothing too severe. I just came here to see if I could find a place away from the game for a bit."

Neku refused to give him an inch, slightly relishing that he had for once gained the upper hand in the argument. "I thought that if the Composer left the UG, it'll fall apart," he pointed out ruthlessly, "and the last time you came into the RG, you were playing a game to destroy it! Not to mention you killed me. I seriously doubt it's 'nothing too severe'."

Joshua chuckled emptily and shook his head, hunching his shoulders indifferently, though it was quite obvious something was irritating him. "My temporary Conductor has the UG under control, as well as Mr. H, so don't worry. Besides," his gaze fixated itself onto the other, "of what concern is it to you that I am injured? Shouldn't you be elated that your killer might possibly be suffering?" His brow quirked expectantly.

For some reason, the implication that Neku would delight in Joshua's suffering bothered him. "Don't confuse yourself with me," he scowled. There was a big difference in wanting to punch the smug bastard's face in and truly wanting to see him in distress. Though, he pondered as he carefully looked over Joshua's appearance once, it seemed like the smugness had evaporated. A bit of guilt poked at his insides and Neku sighed, taking a seat next to the Composer as a gesture of goodwill. Though he was careful to put a large gap between them. "...your temporary Conductor?"

Joshua closed his eyes by this point, humming a soft tune under his breath as he twirled a strand of hair around on his finger. "Yes, I managed to convince Kariya to take the job until I can find a suitable one," he answered plainly.

Neku remembered the orange-haired Reaper with an oral fixation almost all too well. "Lollipop, huh? Why isn't he your permanent Conductor?" With a slight pang, he recalled what he had done to Shades. Him and Joshua must have been friends. Another yawn threatened to rise to the surface and his eyes had begun to droop. He rubbed them, irritated.

Joshua shook his head. "He's strong and talented, that I can agree with Sanae on. But he isn't cut out to be a Conductor. A Gamemaster, probably. Definitely more than what he was before." He shrugged and kept his eyes closed.

"Oh. I wonder how Pinky's taking it," Neku said, halfheartedly, glancing at the clock with more and more frequency. It was really way too late for this. Shifting his eyes back to Joshua, he inferred that the other probably agreed. He stood up. "Fine, I'm not going to kick you out tonight. You can," here he paused to cover a yawn, "sleep on the couch." He stumbled to the door in search for extra blankets, ingrained politeness not allowing him to do otherwise.

Joshua cracked open an eye and stared at him. A smirk reappeared on his previously stoic lips. "You're too sweet, Neku," he hummed and shifted so that he could lay lengthwise on the couch, head propped up on the armrest with a satisfied noise.

Neku muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath at the endearment and left the room. He reemerged a few minutes later from the storage room with slightly dusty blankets rolled under his arm. "Here," he offered, as he shoved the bundle onto the reclining boy's stomach. He turned to leave. "Keep in mind that if you're still here in the morning, you're going to give me answers."

Joshua shifted some on the couch, wrapping the blankets around his exhausted body. His gaze followed the orangey brunet, shimmering furtively all the while. "If that's the case, then I do suggest you prepare yourself tonight for those answers."

Neku paused, one hand on the doorframe. He looked back one more time at the most confusing person he had ever known. "Good night," he said, and turned off the lights, casting the room in shadows once again.

.

Joshua had slept many places in both his afterlife and actual life, but none had been quite like this. Neku's couch was...to say the least, uncomfortable. The material was scratchy, the blankets were anything but comforting, and that annoying clock in the corner of the room that kept ticking loudly was getting on his last nerve. Of course, even with the annoyances, Joshua had managed to pass out for the night and get a good eight hours in before he stirred awake the next morning, pulling the bothersome blankets over his head. Damn sun. The couch just had to face the windows. It just had to.

"This is no way for the Composer to be treated," he remarked drowsily under his breath, groaning in frustration as he shifted to turn his back to the sun, nose brushing against the back of the couch.

His arm was still sore, to which was no real surprise. The silveret sighed fretfully again and remained laying there, knowing full well that sleep would not overtake him again until the next night.

All of a sudden, the loud sound of a door being forced open filled the room, closely followed by heavy footsteps that echoed increasingly loudly in the hallway.

Joshua groaned. "Neku, can you be a bit quieter? Normal people are trying to sleep in here," he muttered groggily, even more irritable than usual.

The footsteps paused, directly in front of the living room. The doorknob was juggled before the door swung open. But the person who entered was most decidedly, not Neku. Middle-aged and wearing a rumpled grey suit, unfamiliar, narrow blue eyes blinked at him in perplexity. "... who _are_ you?" he demanded.

Joshua jolted up, clutching the blankets around him in a similar fashion to a female who had just been caught sleeping with another man. His pale eyes adjusted to the brightness and the shock after a moment and returned to their normal ambiguous luster. Father, perhaps...?

"Yoshiya Kiryu, sir," he answered at once, silver hair messier than usual.

"Yoshiya Kiryu...?" Neku's father rolled the unfamiliar name around his tongue as if testing how it sounded. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure...? You must be one of Neku's friends, correct? Though I don't remember him ever mentioning you..." The man set down his briefcase, still looking like the world had turned on its axis without him realizing.

"...I prefer him and others to call me, Joshua, sir," the silveret added on, inspecting the man rather curiously. "And...yes, you could say that I'm a 'friend' of his."

The man was looked to be in his mid to late forties. His hair, which Neku hadn't inherited, was a darker color and nearly as messy as Joshua's currently was. He was wearing a polite, if not friendly, smile that was just the slightest bit tinged in astonishment and overall, looked like he had fallen asleep in the office and had rushed home in a hurry.

"Then you must be a very good friend of his since Neku never invites his friends for sleepovers!" he chuckled. Then, as if something had just dawned on him, the humor evaporated and he stared at Joshua severely. "So," he said, eyes obscured by an ominous glint of his glasses, "Joshua, you slept _all night_ on that couch, did you?"

Joshua bit his bottom lip, rather surprised at this man's change of moods. Wow, he was worse than Neku, that was a first. "Er...yes, sir. I apologize if I intruded," he stated, apprehensively still chewing on the inside of his lip.

The man's face betrayed none of his thoughts. "I... see," he intoned, in a way that seemed to promise doom.

Joshua gulped and averted his gaze. "Is Neku awake, do you know?"

The Composer's answer brought a slight maniacal grin onto the strange man's face. "Oh no, Neku doesn't usually wake until much later," he answered. "Why don't I go get him for you?"

"If he's asleep, that's fine," Joshua mused and ran his fingers through his knotted hair with a frown.

"No, no," laughed the man, but this time not with any joviality. "I'll go wake him right now!" Then he swiftly turned on his heel and exited.

Silence reigned, broken only by heavy stomping.

"NEKU!! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT _NOW_! HOW _DARE_ YOU MAKE YOUR GUEST SLEEP ON THAT BLASTED COUCH?! _WE HAVE A GUESTROOM FOR A REASON, YOU KNOW_!!"

There was a loud, strangled scream, followed by a thump. It appeared Neku had finally woken up.

Joshua frowned at the array of noises that resounded throughout the Sakuraba residence. The frown grew deeper as he remained on the couch, blankets pooled around his waist. 'I suppose I know why he is the way he is…'

.

Neku grumpily crammed a piece of toast into his mouth, looking thoroughly chastised. His ear still tingled from where his father had dragged him down the stairs by to apologize to his "saint-like friend who was forced to put up with his rudeness". He gave said 'friend' a rueful glare of misery, feeling utterly disgraced. The only redeeming feature of the morning was that his father had to leave again for an early meeting and had only returned home for a change of clothes.

"Your father is...such the pleasant man, Neku," Joshua stated from across the table once the man had departed, looking to the orangey brunet with a frown. He wasn't really all that hungry and instead settled upon watching Neku eat.

Neku twitched at that. "Sure," he mumbled around his toast. "...'m glad he's not around all that much." He washed his meal with a cup of water, preferring to eat simply in the morning. He proceeded to half-heartedly question the other boy, having slightly deflated from his horrible awakening.

"So," he coughed, "you said you were going to tell me what's happening."

"Do you really want to know, Neku?" Joshua questioned, leaning back against the chair, careful not to further agitate his sore arm.

A scowl. "Of course I would want to know!" Then quieter, almost meekly, Neku added, "You don't have to do everything alone."

Joshua fell silent for a moment and then quickly regained his composure. "To put it simply, Neku, I've...seem to have attracted another crazy person who is intent on wrenching my position from me."

"What?!" Neku had steeled himself for bad news, like another ridiculous bet, but this was something that he hadn't seen coming. "Couldn't you just... zap him with your Composer powers or something?" he blurted out, only to wish he could take it back. It was obvious that if it were possible, Joshua would have already done so. The severity of the situation hit him and he frowned at the floor in contemplative silence. "Who is it this time?"

Joshua began idly messing with his hair again, pretending not to be paying that much attention. "Haven't had the chance to meet him yet, actually. Attacked me while I was inspecting Shibuya in the RG two days ago," he stated slowly.

"You were attacked," repeated Neku slowly and was now sitting at rapt attention, "That explains your arm. What happened? You didn't see him? Some details would be nice."

Joshua snickered to himself. "Aw, you concerned about me, Neku? How kind of you..." He trailed off and decided to continue regardless. "He used a high level psych. Caught me off guard--Players aren't supposed to be able to attack anyone in the RG."

The new information was troubling. "He used a psych. In the RG? Then... then it couldn't have been a Reaper too could it? When Pi-Face followed you here, he had to use a gun, right?"

Joshua inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. He appeared rather troubled. "Psychs were not meant to be used in the RG. That's why you don't see people running around, killing off each other with spells. There are... a few rare cases where someone can use Psychs outside of the game...a modern day magician."

Neku rubbed at his temples tiredly and it was only morning. Well, he thought to himself, he _did_ ask for this, didn't he? The beginning of a horrid migraine was developing. "So," he resigned himself to another completely unwanted adventure, "how am I going to help you?"

"I wasn't asking for your help, Neku," Joshua pointed out rather sing-songy. He opened his eyes and observed the other, violet hues twinkling. "I just needed to put myself out of the UG--the danger-zone, if you will, until Sanae can contact me and explain further what's going on."

Neku twitched, his headache suddenly getting a lot worse. "Forget I asked then!" he snarled. He abruptly pushed away from the table and began to stalk away. "You can stay here, but I'm leaving!"

Joshua blinked in utter surprise. "I thought you'd be rather...glad that I wasn't involving you in the UG again, Neku."

Neku stopped short, suddenly wondering why he was angry. That _was_ what he wanted right? To live a normal life with Shiki, Beat and Rhyme and not having to worry about being killed by mutant elephants. "...the two of us," he started then stopped. He sighed again. "We were partners, right?" Neku flushed at the sappy words that were escaping his mouth.

Joshua gracefully stood from the table and glided over to where Neku was, footsteps barely being heard. "Then I appreciate your concern," the silveret stated smoothly and surveyed the other's face for a moment. "I'm not sure how you can help yet, but I assure you the reassurance is more than enough for now."

"Y-Yeah, ok." Neku swallowed thickly. He looked over the Composer again and noted that he was looking a bit better than he had yesterday. "We should look at your arm."

"The injury isn't on the visible level," the Composer explained and shrugged indifferently. "There are some aspects of it that are similar to a RG injury, but for the most part..." He licked his lips uneasily and proceeded to state uncaringly, "it's been cursed. The only way to fully lift off its negative effects is a psych. Which one, I'm not sure yet."

Oh. OH. Neku blinked rapidly. Cursed? Great, why couldn't things ever be simple? "Cursed?" he asked uneasily. "Cursed how?"

"Surely you saw a psych similar during your three weeks," Joshua reasoned and sat back down, resting in the chair. "The psych inflicts a negative effect onto whoever receives it. Usually, in UG terms, the effect fades. However, considering this was used in the RG...my only assumption is that the cure would be a healing psych."

Neku absorbed the information carefully. Joshua's arm must really be bothering him as he wasn't able to hide his discomfiture. "Okay," he said, "I guess now we should lay low for now and wait for Mr. H." Then he frowned. "Should you... you know, be able to heal it yourself?"

Joshua didn't answer right away, eyes shutting. He then chuckled faintly, almost pathetically. "I would have already done such. I'm not one to enjoy pain and suffering. It was a powerful psych."

"Right," said Neku, for lack of anything better to say. He struggled to find something else to talk about, anything to stop the feeling of incredible wrongness at seeing Joshua look so powerless from spreading. "I... nothing's going to happen to you." He faltered slightly, but then corrected in a much stronger voice, "_I won't let anything happen to you_." His eyes narrowed and burned with determination.

Belatedly, Neku realized that he had sounded quite a bit like a Shounen hero.

Joshua had caught on to how ridiculous that had just sounded. His eyes snapped open and he surveyed his ex-partner for a moment before bursting out in giggles, hand flying up to cover his mouth. "Oh Neku, I always knew you'd be my knight in shining armor. Now, considering we're already in your castle, woo me and have your way with me."

Fuming as he turned beet red, Neku turned away, shaking with embarrassment. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, you bastard," he said to his sock-clad feet.

"Hm?" Joshua tilted his head, letting his bangs fall in his face. "Not going to push me against a wall and have your way with me, Neku?"

"Gahh!!" Neku groaned plaintively, gripping his hair in frustration. "I wish you'd stop doing that." Aspirin, aspirin, aspirin.

Joshua sniggered. "Fine, I'll stop," he reasoned and waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, I'd be the one having my way with you, Neku."

"Right," Neku twitched, "whatever." It was just no use arguing with him after all. Times like this was when Neku wondered why he ever bothered to care.

"If you'd come closer, I'd gladly show you how I could achieve such," the silveret added on, eyes flickering mischievously--anything to keep his mind off the imminent danger that loomed over him and Shibuya.

"No, no and no. No thank you," replied Neku who was now rummaging around the cupboards in search for a headache cure. "I want to stay unmolested."

"It wouldn't be molestation. You'd like it. You'd probably blush and gasp in that oh so adorable tone of yours and beg for more," Joshua hummed and traced the grain of the wood of the kitchen table.

"I think I'll pass," Neku dismissed. He popped the pills into his mouth, poured himself a glass of water and downed it. Instant headache relief, his ass. Damn liars.

Joshua sighed histrionically and closed his eyes once more. "Whatever you say, Neku"

.

Kariya ran a hand distractedly through his hair, but was still mindful enough not to mess it up. It took far too much effort to take care off, he decided. Maybe he should think about trimming it shorter...? He exhaled loudly, the bean paste in his mouth almost falling out. He propped his feet up onto the Conductor's desk in the Death God's Pad, scattering a couple of thick and unimportant stacks of reports penned by some overachieving support Reaper. Really now, this was _exactly_ why he hadn't wanted to get promoted. It was just so tedious.

Inwardly, he sent a brief prayer to the higher ups for the entire mess to be settled so that the Composer could come back and give his temporary job to someone else. And also for poor mislead Uzuki to never have to suffer this ennui.

All seemed to be quiet this particular day, if one wasn't counting the plethora of written reports. At least nothing had been blown up or destroyed yet, and that was exceptional considering the Composer had fled the UG for the time-being. Of course, all good things are short-lived--especially relaxation.

"Yo, Conductor-sir!" a voice boomed through the expansive room as a tall form appeared, Rea per wings outstretched and yellow, spiky hair tussled more than usual. "We've got mega problems out on the field."

Kariya disappointedly removed his feet from the desk, dislodging a couple more reports. "I expected as much." He gestured for the Reaper to come closer. The room was ridiculously big. "What is it, 777? And please don't get into the habit of calling me that. It makes it sound permanent."

777 scratched the back of his neck and stepped forward, wings still out. "The Noise, sir. It's been attacking Reapers at random. Something's off balance. Can even feel it in my music, sir." His eyebrows furrowed. "Something's tampering with Shibuya's soul, and ultimately the music of the town."

The temporary Conductor rubbed circles against his temples. That was certainly a mega problem. Damnit, just when they were so short on staff. "Have all the Reapers including the ones off-duty alerted and mobilized," he commanded, shifting so fast into business-mode that one had to blink. "We need to put Shibuya in lock down. Get the Support Reapers set up walls and close off the Routes."

"I'm on it, sir!" 777 chirped, almost slipping into his singing voice. He gave a salute and headed back towards the door he came from, but not before turning back around to face his superior. "Oh, right! Uzuki said she wanted to meet you later, at the usual, for the usual." He scratched the back of his head once more. "Whatev' that means." A shrug and then he vanished into the depths of the UG.

Kariya blinked slowly after the Def March singer had disappeared, feeling a sense of dread creep up. "Uzuki... I haven't seen her since I got this job. She's going to be mad, isn't she?"

.

"Neku, your house is so boring," the Composer complained as he eyed his now exposed arm, cuts, scrapes, and bruises and all. He never would have guessed that his ex-proxy would be so persistent to see the injury. Oh well, perhaps surprises were for the better. Regardless, the silveret reclined on the couch, continuing to eye his arm with a frown. Looked as horrible as it did two days prior.

Though he knew there wasn't anything he could actually do to cure Joshua's injury, Neku couldn't live with his conscience if he didn't at least treat the superficial wounds. With careful fingers, he spread a salve on some of the nastier looking bruises, trying hard not to aggravate the healing scabs. He unfurled a roll of bandages and began the slow process of wrapping up the Composer's arm. "Why didn't you let me look at this yesterday?" he scolded.

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Need I remind you that you were fussy?" the silveret hummed, wincing slightly as the bandage brushed against one of the more sensitive areas. He did well to cover up the wince, though, with a forced snicker.

Neku, feeling another pang of guilt, flinched slightly at the reminder and accidentally pulled a bit too hard. "Shit! ...I'm... Sorry," he sighed, though whether he was apologizing for the previous night or for his roughness he didn't clarify.

Joshua winced again and frowned deeply. "Neku, it's not that hard of a procedure. A Wall Reaper could do it, for heaven's sake," he murmured and relaxed once again, eyes shutting pleasantly

The orange-haired boy continued the bandaging in silence, not feeling up to taking offense. He finished his work, neatly tying the loose ends together and sat back. Hesitantly, he inquired, "Is that better?"

Joshua scrunched his nose slightly and lifted his arm, testing it for a few moments. "Oh, I suppose it'll have to do," he stated calmly and flicked his gaze over to the boy, his eyes shimmering with gratitude.

Neku blinked at the display, not entirely used to being thanked by the other boy with only a little hint at sarcasm. He averted his eyes. "I apologize if you had expected a bang up job. I don't get into the habit of getting myself grievously injured."

Joshua hummed to himself and then paused, looking a bit unnerved. "...Something's happening in the UG," he murmured to himself, his good hand reaching up to rest on his forehead. "Damnit..."

The almost comfortable ambience that had settled in the room dispersed. Neku bit his bottom lip in worry. "Maybe we should go to Wildkat and see Mr. H," he suggested tentatively, "You'll probably be safer there, too." He had tried calling earlier but the line had been infuriatingly busy.

"...I may have to go against his wishes and check up with Kariya in the UG. I shouldn't be able to feel such a strong imbalance in the RG," the Composer grumbled and sat up, still looking worse for wear.

"Wait, you're not planning on going back to the UG now, right?" Neku almost leapt out of his seat. "You know that whoever got you is still out there!"

Joshua arched a brow at Neku's reaction. "Worried about me, Neku?" he teased, reaching out to brush the tips of his fingers along the left side of his host's jaw.

Neku agitatedly brushed the fingers aside, not in the mood for teasing, "Yes! Of course I'm worried! I already said that we were partners." The headache from the morning still hadn't faded. "Besides," he added, "if something's got _you_ so uneasy, it's bound to be bad news for everyone else in Shibuya."

Joshua tapped his own fingers under his chin for a moment, appearing contemplative. "Hm... all right, then. We'll do as you planned: Go see Mr. H and figure out what's going on."

"That's good." Neku visibly relaxed. "Mr. H would definitely know what's going on."

Joshua nodded in subtle agreement before reaching out to take the other boy's wrist. "Lead the way, my guardian."


	2. Chapter 2

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 2**

The familiar trek to the Wildkat Café had been the longest and most tiring trip Neku had ever taken. He became increasingly edgy; his suspicious eyes darted from stranger to stranger as he and Joshua waded through the thinning crowds. He heaved a sigh. Now that they were far from the safety of his cozy home, Neku suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. Reaching out, he impulsively reached out and snagged the Composer by his wrist as if wanting reassurance.

Joshua's gaze, which had been distant for the past few moments, wandered over to the teen beside him. His brow quirked as he surveyed him. "Nothing's going to attack you," the silveret reassured, twisting his hand so that his own fingers could wrap around Neku's wrist. What a sight it must have been. Holding onto each other's wrists...Joshua being forced to wear Neku's clothing due to the fact he had no clean clothes with him...and of course, the Composer looked vulnerable for the first time in quite awhile.

Neku tried for nonchalance, not wanting to let on how shaken he was. It was like being back in the Game, only far worse since he was completely without a way to fight back. "_I'm_ not worried about getting attacked," he stated flatly, voice almost drowned out by the conversations around him. He had left text messages with his friends, telling them that he was going to be busy that day and not to wait up for him. Neku hoped that, whatever this mess was, it would be cleared up before the three became involved again.

"Well, whatever you're looking so fretful over, don't worry, we're almost there," Joshua answered nonchalantly and continued walking, sinewy fingers curled tightly around his ex-proxy's wrist. His gaze wandered along the streets, making certain to note any suspicious behavior before it resulted in another injury to his already aching body.

Occasionally, Neku's neck would prickle beneath his collar, signaling that they were being watched. But when he whipped his head around to locate the culprit, he would only see some innocent pedestrian avert his eyes, looking embarrassed. This both puzzled and worried him. He literally sagged in relief upon finally reaching their destination.

Joshua gingerly pushed open the door with his bad arm and led his partner inside, violet eyes visibly relaxing at the familiar surroundings. The smell of Wildkat quickly engulfed him-- a pleasant mixture of coffee, sweets, and a small dashing of home. The Composer paused and called out to his Producer, not really paying any mind to his current outfit nor the hand tightly woven around Neku's wrist.

Sanae Hanekoma appeared after a moment, grumbling something about missing his favorite show. The tall male stopped mid-rant before chuckling. "Hey, boss! Glad to see you're doin' better!" He paused. "Phones...?"

This was going to need some explaining. "Sanae--" the silveret began.

"...Josh, I thought you didn't want him involved?" And then. "...And what's with the clothes? Thought you hated that brand." And then finally, as his gaze dropped to the linked arms. "...Whoah, you two ain't? ...Well you know..."

Joshua giggled innocently at the implication, violet eyes flashing mischievously as he looked to his partner, temporarily dropping Neku's wrist and freeing his own. Wordlessly, he slipped behind the lanky teenager and curled his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Aren't what, Sanae?" he purred, body flush back against Neku's.

"...!" Neku froze at the sudden intimacy. His jaw worked furiously as he tried to catch up with the bizarre turn of the conversation.

First, Neku and Joshua had entered the café, practically holding hands. Second, Joshua was wearing an extra set of Neku's clothes. Add Joshua's slightly more rumpled than usual appearance and factor in the suspicious looks that had been directed at them as they walked through the street... Oh. Dull realization dawned on him. _Oh_.

"JOSHUA!" he roared.

"Yes, love?" the silveret wondered, purposely nuzzling his cheek against the other's boy chin as he added in an overdramatic eye flutter, arms still wrapped securely around his waist.

"Uh...ignoring that for a moment..." Sanae murmured, rubbing his stubble uneasily as he averted his gaze. "Feeling any better, boss?..."

"Mmm, much, now that I have my sweet Neku with me," Joshua sang pleasantly.

Neku spluttered in outrage as he quickly extricated himself from the Composer's hold, backing away as far as possible. Beseechingly, he turned to his idol. "It's not like that, Mr. H!" he attempted to explain.

"Whatever you say, Phones," Mr. Hanekoma chuckled loudly and leaned against the counter, inspecting the pair. The suddenly sour look on Joshua's face was rather priceless. "Cheer up, Boss."

"Take a walk in my shoes then tell me that," Joshua scolded and walked over to the counter, not looking back to Neku once. He slung his skinny body up and onto a stool, concealing fatigue.

Neku shouldn't have bothered to protest. Mr. Hanekoma had never listened to him. "I'm not even wearing my phones right now," he complained half-heartedly, more out of habit than anything else. Then he became serious, casting an anxious look at the Composer. "Mr. H, what is happening in the UG?"

Sanae chuckled, though this time it was far more reserved than before. "Well...not to make this sound any worse than it is, hell's happening, kid. Some sort of freaky imbalance. Reapers are being attacked by Noise--not Taboo, I assure you--" He sounded rather... certain of that. "But Noise that is a smidge different. Can't pinpoint why, though."

The brunet wasn't sure if he should be reassured about that. On one hand, not having Taboo Noise floating around sounded like good news but on the other, something about the strange new variant gave him bad vibes. "So they're just... different? How are they different? And, what about the guy who got Joshua, do you know who it is?" he pressed.

"Not exactly..." Mr. Hanekoma responded vaguely, leaving it at that, and continued on to his explanation. "The Noise that's attacking is player-created. It seems to be spawning out of nowhere. Reapers have reported to Kariya that they've seen Noise manifest out of nowhere, unlike how it usually is formed."

"So Kariya is actually doing his job?" Joshua hummed, looking to his Producer with an arched brow, cheek pressed to his hand.

"Believe it or not," the cafe owner chuckled and shrugged. "None of us in the UG know much about what's happenin', boss. Sorry. Things just have been rough since you left."

He frowned deeply at the troubling news. The Noise was... made by someone other than the Reapers? Neku thought back to his weeks in the Reaper's Game and had no recollection of doing anything to the Noise aside from simply erasing them. Could a Player somehow have learned how to make them from a rogue Reaper? He sighed audibly; there was no use in randomly making guesses, after all. Neku had to accept the explanation for now, though he had the uncomfortable feeling the café owner might have left something out.

"Mr. H," he started, deciding to address their other problem, "Joshua got hit by a Negative Psych. Do you think you can do something about it?"

"Boss, if it was just a Negative Psych, why haven't you cleared yourself of it yet?" Sanae wondered, his gaze drifting from Neku over to the Composer.

Joshua sighed dramatically and shook his head, messy bangs falling back in his face. "If it was in my power, don't you think I would have done it, Sanae?" he deadpanned and then relaxed some. "I was hit by it in the RG...someone's been tampering with things they shouldn't" he sang, though sounded a bit weary at the aspect.

"...A RG Psych, huh...?" Mr. H trailed off, scratching his head with confusion.

Neku deflated. It seemed like that line of questioning was dead too. He should have known better by now; anything these two got involved in wouldn't be anything but a cryptic mess. "Well," he sighed again, this time addressing Joshua, "what should we do now?"

"J, do you have a place to hideout for the time being?" Mr. Hanekoma questioned, sighing worriedly.

"Of course. I'm staying with Neku," Joshua replied punctually, as if his Producer should have known such.

"Riight," Sanae murmured and shook his head, tilting his shades some to inspect the pair. "I'll call you kids if I learn anything, you have my word."

"Hold on," interjected Neku, "wouldn't it be better for Joshua to stay here with you?" It wasn't that he was trying to kick the other boy out, but he had no confidence in being of any use if whatever had attacked Joshua before decided to come back for seconds.

"Phones, think for a sec. If whoever is out to get Josh knows his RG form, don't you think they'd also know here would be a plausible place to search for him?"

Joshua sighed, becoming a bit frustrated. "Don't lecture him, Sanae. He's a big boy, he should be able to figure these things out for himself," he stated irritably.

Mr. Hanekoma rubbed his chin, a frown dancing across his features. "Ignoring Joshua's interjection, I agree with him. Your place would be the best bet."

"Ok ok, I got it," said Neku, raising his hands in surrender. He rubbed his temples, feeling like he was completely in over his head. Curses; he was developing something like a hero-complex, wasn't he? "So, the plan for now is that we go back, lay low, and wait for you to call, right?"

"That's the plan," the cafe owner confirmed as his gaze traveled back to the Composer. "And Josh?"

"Hm?" Joshua glanced back over to the black-haired man, feigning attention. "Yes, my dearest Mr. H?"

Sanae's lips pursed together. "Don't get yourself killed."

"Oh, I assure you, I won't," the silveret responded smugly, eyes shimmering with forced confidence.

"He won't die," asserted Neku, feeling rather numb, "He's too much of an ass."

Joshua giggled somewhat, tossing the other a snicker. "Thank you, Neku."

"Yeah, well, I guess we should get going then. Thanks, Mr. H." Neku was about to leave when he noticed that a full mug of joe had been left on the counter in front of him. "...Mr. H?" he asked, uncertainly, "I didn't order any coffee."

"Hah, so you didn't," Mr. H stated amusededly and shook his head. "Well, don't let a good cup of joe go to waste, Phones. I assure you it's a quality blend." His hand shot up to rub his chin, eyes settling upon Neku from behind the shades.

"Same as always," Joshua sniggered under his breath and got up, stretching his good arm with a soft yawn.

The visiting brunet, now turned customer, developed a tick on his forehead. He hadn't even seen the man put down the mug. Shaking with indignity, Neku deposited a handful of yen on the counter and stormed out.

Joshua giggled to himself and offered the smallest of smiles to his Producer once Neku had left. "Is Kariya doing a good job?" he wondered quietly, gaze sweeping rather nervously around the cafe. He knew he couldn't stay long without arousing concern from his partner.

"Of course. You chose well," Sanae responded with a nod. "I still don't see why you didn't offer the job to Pho--"

"I'll be waiting for your call. Keep an eye on things for me," the silveret interjected and headed towards the door, waving dismissively with one hand before leaving.

Neku had stopped a couple of meters away from the Wildkat's entrance, waiting for Joshua to emerge. When he finally did, Neku wasted no time in grabbing him by the shirtsleeve and briskly began walking back. "What took you so long?" he questioned.

Joshua sneered at the response he received from his partner. "Had to discuss Composer-only matters with Sanae, of course," he stated smoothly and then went on to add, "Were you worried about me, Neku?"

"Whatever," Neku replied, not wanting to have to say anything so sappy again. He couldn't help but feel that it had been a bad move to come into the areas where the Games were held. Why, he wondered, hadn't they been able to get through to Mr. Hanekoma on the phone? He was obviously there.

"You seem horribly upset, Neku," Joshua noted as they walked back, mostly in silence. His curious eyes scanned over the other, not saying another word on the matter.

"I'm sure any normal person would be," Neku intoned dryly. "But I'm not blaming you. It's not your fault you attract the crazies." That statement could possibly apply to him too.

"It's my power," Joshua agreed and allowed his shoulders to slump. "Now, forgetting my petty problems for the time being, how has your time away from the Game been?"

A small, fond smile spread across Neku's lips. "It's been... great," he admitted, sounding almost awed as he thought of the time he spent with his friends.

Joshua nodded rather distantly. "Then I'm glad," he stated, more to himself, as he turned his attention back to the city, eyes a bit more far-away.

"Those three weeks... were very hard for me. But," Neku observed Joshua's profile with soft eyes, but looked away before he could be caught staring, "I'm... I'm actually a bit grateful to the Game. I guess... it opened my eyes and forced me to see what I was missing."

Joshua nodded absently. "I can see that," he mused and stuffed his hands into his pockets, gaze still set in the distance. "You've expanded your horizons."

Neku let out a little laugh. "I guess I took to heart what you told me. 'Only by letting strangers in can we find new ways to be ourselves' or something like that."

Joshua paused and glanced back over to Neku, brow curved upwards. "You listened to my ramblings?"

Neku was almost put off that the words, words that had become somewhat of a mantra to him when he had thought Joshua was gone for good, were being dismissed as ramblings by their owner. "And if I did?"

Joshua shrugged, as if it didn't bother him. "I always thought that you were letting everything I said go in one ear and out the other."

Now the brunet _was_ put off. "Just because I tuned you out when you went on and on about crap like... where Dogenzaka got its name doesn't mean I don't listen!"

Joshua smirked to himself, shaking his head. "How did it get its name, Neku?"

Neku faltered. "Uhh... a bandit? Ogen Dowada?"

"Ugh...you don't have an ear for detail, Neku," Joshua sighed and shook his head, hands burying further in his pockets. "But at least you remember the main idea...I suppose you should get a small prize." He removed one hand from his pocket and idly tossed the brunet a small piece of candy with a snicker.

Neku caught it reflexively with a scowl. "You're so condescending. No one cares about those details. And why do you carry this stuff around, anyway?"

Joshua rolled his eyes. "No one cares about the details?" He shook his head in disbelief, committing that statement to memory. "Stole it from a baby, of course," he responded sarcastically.

"I wouldn't put it past you," came the uncomplimentary retort.

Joshua huffed, feigning a pout. "Do you really think I'd do something like that, Neku?"

Neku was about to answer affirmatively but then paused to take in the image. He snickered. Then burst into helpless laughter.

Joshua pouted further, though this time a shred of it was not fake. "What _are_ you laughing at? I don't see anything funny about this conversation."

This only incited Neku to further descend into hysterics. He laughed a bit too hard and started to develop a minor cramp so he had to double over slightly to ease it. "You're a riot, Josh," he choked out after calming down a bit, his face shining with mirth.

Joshua frowned, not liking the idea of Neku finding that much humor in him. He proceeded to roll his eyes and take Neku's hand this time, leading the pair of them back to Neku's home, not in the mood to deal with the teenager's laughter any longer.

Neku let himself be led by the hand this time, a wide, uncharacteristic grin still splitting his face. The pair of them had covered a fair amount of distance without him realizing. Neku was glad for the familiar banter as it took his mind off their gloomy circumstances. It was one of the things he found himself missing in the six months that followed his last Game.

"Neku, your expression is beginning to unnerve m--" Joshua began with a frown before he was cut short. His body stiffened and he instinctively clutched the younger's hand harder, eyes narrowing. "Don't. Move," he hissed out darkly, grip continuing to get tighter as he stopped walking all together.

Neku's insides turned to ice at the Composer's tone and he froze, instantly obeying. He strained his senses, trying to figure out which direction the threat was coming from, but could detect nothing aside from the fact that something was intrinsically, horribly _wrong_. Unconsciously, he returned the now painful grip.

"Go home, Neku," Joshua stated rather harshly, power leaking through his fingertips and probably hurting the other's hand. "And stay there."

Neku, who had been easing himself into a familiar battle stance, fixed him with a look of dismay. "What?! Are you crazy? There's no way I can leave you here alone!" he hissed.

"You can't do anything in the RG, Neku," Joshua reminded him sharply under his breath, dropping his hand all together. "Now go."

At the reminder that Neku was essentially deadweight, he flinched at his powerlessness. The strange, terrible sort of pressure was engulfing the area, painting the buildings and trees and people with twisted shadows. Something bad was coming towards their way, something none of the other passersby seemed to notice. Eyes darting to Joshua and to their surroundings, Neku protested. "But I--!"

"Go home, Neku!" Joshua spat and harshly looked away, gaze setting upon the focus of the power. He didn't turn back around to check to see if his partner had listened or not, right about now he didn't really care all that much.

The silveret closed his eyes, prepared to change frequencies and battle whatever was out on the prowl, away from prying eyes, but as he stood there, he slowly found it impossible. His body wouldn't become any lighter—his mind wouldn't change stations. Sudden fear swarmed in the Composer, something he hadn't felt this strongly before. Violet eyes widened and he swore rarely under his breath, catching sight of what appeared to be some sort of Reaper in the distance. The presence was that of one…but it was different. The power was not that of the UG or Shibuya …it was different. Unique, almost. As if it was being directed by something else, something not for the sake of the Underground. And whatever was controlling his 'once minion' was not letting go anytime soon and seemed to be intent on coming his way.

"Let's move, now," he snapped, noticing Neku was still there, probably petrified without the ability to fight. Without a word, the Composer stole Neku's hand back and channeled all of his energy in the RG that he could, dragging both their bodies to the nearest alley. As he raced to do such, the little energy he did have in this form began to pulsate. As the silveret dragged his partner towards the grungy alleyway, he felt the Reaper drawing closer. Whoever was doing this certainly didn't seem to mind attacking in plain sight and causing a riot.

"Hold on," the Composer mumbled and closed his eyes once more, taking Neku's other hand and casting them into a bright light, focusing on the red-head's home in his mind. He had never attempted teleportation out of the UG, and he prayed to the Higher Plane above that it'd work…for his proxy's sake.

Neku had been unable to do anything but look on in horror as their enemy advanced. Outwardly, it didn't look any different than one of the Reapers that he had seen during the Game, but the image was somehow warped and the longer he looked, the colder he became until it burned like his entire being had been submerged in liquid fire. The world swayed and fell on its side. His vision rippled alarmingly as a terrible shrieking welled him in his eyes, causing him to stagger backwards. All of his nerves screamed in agony and something inside of him was being twisted, wrenched apart.

Suddenly, a firm hand wrenched him back to clarity and he could see Joshua looking as terrified as he was, dragging him until his surroundings blurred. Then the world turned white. And he fell.

.

A rarely placed frown was upon the Composer's face as his thin fingers drifted in and out of damp red hair. His soft lavender eyes stared down at the unconscious boy, flickering between the smallest amount of fear and nothing at all. His thin lips were pressed into a small line, concealing any other emotion that he was currently experiencing. "Neku," he murmured, his hand continuing its repeated trek through the boy's hair.

"Guess the teleportation process isn't as refined as I thought it was…especially for humans," Joshua murmured to himself, shaking his head. He traced the boy's jaw for a moment, glad that at least they were out of danger. It had been a close call and he was simply thankful that he had managed to drag Neku back to the boy's house, strip him down to his boxers, carry him to his bed, and then proceed to watch over him like a guardian. It had been the…long and tedious process.

Neku's insensible form gave a shudder as his eyes moved erratically beneath his lids, revealing that his unnatural slumber was far from untroubled. Perspiration beaded down his forehead before sinking into his untidy bangs. His mouth formed syllables that he was unable to give voice to, breath coming out in short gasps.

Joshua's frown deepened in response, his fingers pausing momentarily on the youth's face. "Wake up," he murmured sternly, his index finger springing into action to swipe away a bead of sweat that had begun to drop down his partner's face.

Neku's eyelids fluttered, giving the Composer a fleeting view of unfocused blue eyes before they were squeezed shut again. A trembling hand weakly gripped at the bed sheets that he laid on. "J-Joshua...?" he mouthed.

"Yes?" the silveret purred in response and cocked his head, messy bangs hiding his troubled eyes quite effectively.

Hearing the Composer's voice had effectively calmed the semi-conscious brunet and his fingers relaxed. Neku blinked twice before the familiar sight of his bedroom ceiling swam back into view. "—how?"

"You didn't think I'd leave you there to die, now did you?" the Composer wondered as he swiped his fingers back through the other's hair, giggling softly under his breath as he remained perched on the bed beside him.

The former player closed his eyes again with a slight frown; the light hurt his eyes. Once he reoriented himself, he spoke up again, sounding rough as if unused to speaking, "What happened?"

"Hm...Well, some possessed Reaper, seemingly by an unknown type of Noise, started approaching us in the RG. I, of course, dragged your skinny behind to safety and used my powers to teleport us safely back here. Of course, you passed out and..." He glanced over his shoulder. "...it's been a good three hours."

Three hours? Neku's frown deepened. His memories of the encounter were hazy; every image was distorted as if viewed through a cracked mirror. The only thing that he managed to recall with some degree of clarity was a stifling presence which had permeated the very air. "A... possessed Reaper?" he managed through a partially blocked throat.

"Neku, stop questioning everything I tell you," Joshua quipped and brushed the boy's bangs behind his ear before sitting back some, eying his partner.

"I..." Neku's head spun when he tried to sit up, splotches of color danced beneath his lids so he lay back down. He gripped his head and groaned. "Wait... I think I remember seeing you... flicker?"

Joshua licked his lips uneasily. "I tried to change my frequency," he stated and placed his hand gently onto Neku's forehead, swatting away the other boy's. "It seems that my little stalker has messed with the ability to change frequencies. I contacted Sanae when you were passed out. Other Reapers are having the same problem, including Kariya."

"You can't... change frequencies...?" The fact took some time to process in Neku's weary mind. He bolted upright, all tiredness forgotten, "Wait! But... but that means you're completely trapped here! Shit..." Neku clamped a hand over his mouth, feeling completely nauseated. It was really the worst possible solution. Whoever was after the Composer was worryingly capable.

"I'll be fine," the Composer replied nonchalantly and stubbornly met the red-head's gaze. "I survived Minamimoto's ruthless attacks for my throne more times than you would think. This newbie doesn't scare me, Neku."

"Yeah, but this newbie has you trapped where you're completely vulnerable! Has Pi-Face managed that before?" Neku retorted, feeling so frustrated he was becoming lightheaded. Just how did this guy find out what Joshua's RG form looked like?

"No..." Joshua trailed off and averted his gaze. "It doesn't matter, my proxy. I'll be fine. He may have acquired a few crafty tricks, but he's certainly not strong enough to overthrow a Composer."

"So he's using cheap tricks," Neku buried his face in his hands. "Damnit, Joshua! Now's not the time to get overconfident." They desperately needed information. Information, and then a plan. He dropped his hands into his lap and regarded them; why were they so useless?

"Relax, you're going to give yourself an ulcer," Joshua teased and slumped back against the bed beside Neku, resting his body against the headboard with a nonchalant smirk directed at the red-head, seemingly not fazed whatsoever by the glum future.

"Josh," whispered Neku, "just... just be careful, ok?" _And_, he added mentally, _next time just leave me behind_.

"Of course I'll be okay," Joshua replied calmly and kept his gaze fixed on Neku. "Just get better, my dear proxy. Can't have you flaking off on me"

Neku scowled. "I'm already better," he replied, then added in an undertone, "You don't have time to worry about me, after all."

"Hm...That may be so," the silveret murmured and shifted so that he could lie on his stomach beside Neku, face burying itself into the youth's pillow. "Now that you're up and recovered, I'm going to sleep," he announced, voice muffled by the pillow. "You're welcome to nap with me if you want, Neku," he giggled drowsily.

Too exhausted to argue, Neku's just closed his eyes again, eager to temporarily escape reality. He found it astonishingly easy to drift back off again, lulled by the other boy's comforting breaths. He managed a tired, "don't drool on me or anything," right before his consciousness faded once more.

.

Somehow during the four hours of resting (teleportation took quite the toll on the body, regardless of being Composer or human), the Composer had ended up closer to his proxy, face nuzzled comfortably in the junction between Neku's shoulder and neck. His stomach was lurching with hunger, even as he slept, but the urge to sleep off the horrors of the UG was far too strong to do anything about that persistent grumbling.

Downstairs, a key jiggled in the doorknob briefly, before the front door swung open, admitting a certain middle-aged man, now sporting a dark brown suit with his hair brushed and styled immaculately. Neku's father exhaled, weary after a long day at work and looked forward to a nice, uneventful evening. Taking off his shoes and neatly stacking them in the rack next to the entrance, he made his way down the hall, pausing at the stairs, before deciding to climb them to see his son. He thought he'd casually question (interrogate) him about why he had never mentioned his unfailingly polite friend that he had brought over.

Once at the top of the stairs, he turned left and headed for Neku's bedroom. The light was left on and the door was slightly ajar, so he nudged it open. "Neku," he began, but stopped short.

On top of his son's bed, lay his son in his boxers. A scene that he would have deemed perfectly normal if not for the fact that the boy from the morning was lying next to him, doing what could be described as cuddling. Not to mention that he was wearing Neku's clothes that were just the slightest loose on him. Wordlessly, he closed the door, eyeglasses once again glinting ominously.

He headed back down the stairs.

Joshua stirred upon hearing the sound of the door closing. His eyes fluttered open drowsily, his stomach getting to him even more now that he was stumbling into the realm of reality. "Neku, you up?" he grumbled lazily, too out of it to fully realize that he was undeniably clinging onto the younger.

Neku awoke to the curious sensation being held, something he hadn't experienced since he was a child before his mother passed away. For one moment, he let himself enjoy the embrace without questioning it, feeling warm and safe. But there was something light and soft that tickled his face and neck. He opened his eyes to find his vision obscured by strands of silver.

Wait, he backtracked, why was there was silver hair in his _face_? His hands which had been encircling a thin body disentangled themselves and he lightly pushed himself away. He turned his head to see who was breathing on him and sighed. Oh right. He sat up so the Composer rolled off his chest and onto his bedcovers. Out of spite, he poked him. "Joshua."

Joshua cracked open an eye, frowning at the red-head profusely. "And you moved why?" he grumbled before stretching his legs and curling back up on the bed, this time using Neku's pillow as something to snuggle against. "My stomach feels like a black, burning hole. I'm tempted to go out and get something to eat regardless of a crazed Player out for blood," he muttered scornfully.

Neku watched him tiredly. "Don't be stupid," he scolded. "We have food at home." He glanced at the clock and did a double take. It was eight in the evening already? Wait, that meant that his father was probably back. Neku felt a sense of dread grip his insides for some reason.

"I want Shio ramen," Joshua grumbled stubbornly, clutching the pillow closer. "And I'm quite capable of going to get it myself once I get up from this grave."

Damn. The closest ramen shop was in Dogenzaka which was; unfortunately, no where near close enough for Neku to let Joshua wander. "Don't be such a brat;" he told him, "you can live without your ramen for one night."

Joshua groaned irritably and shifted into a sitting position, looking positively disheveled, as if he had just woken up from a night of sex. "Fine then. I'll just go get it without your help." He made a move to get up.

Neku twitched. "What? No way!" he cried in dismay, flabbergasted at how ridiculously childish the other boy was being. "You're staying right here, unless you forgot just what made you comatose for four hours?!"

"I haven't eaten since before I came to see you, Neku. I'm going to go get myself some ramen," the silveret responded, shrugging off Neku's words as he arose from the bed and stretched his arms, wincing slightly due to his still injured one.

Neku fumed in response, and struggled off the bed. He yanked Joshua by the back of his shirt, dragging him back down to the bed. "You stay here!" he ordered, and unhappily added, "I'll go get your stupid ramen." If he or his father had been in the habit of eating ramen at all, he could have forced the Composer to eat instant.

Joshua giggled behind his hand, tossing his partner a rather gracious look. "Yes, sir," he chimed, obediently relaxing back against the bed.

Shoulders slumped at being so easily defeated, Neku tugged on a random shirt and trousers and headed for the stairs. He threw a glare back at the boy on his sheets and demanded that he stay put.

He already had one hand on the door handle when a terrifying presence made itself known with a firm hand on his shoulder. Neku gulped and turned around with a tentative smile. "Hi, Dad."

The businessman smiled back at him, showing perfectly white teeth. "Hello, Neku," he said. "Where are you going at this time?"

Neku trembled. "Uh... well, um. I... I'm," he swallowed, deciding to go with the truth, "I'm going to get some f-food for Joshua. Since. He hasn't eaten since yesterday...?" he stammered.

Neku's father's grin got a smidge wider. "That's very... responsible of you, Neku." He gave him a pat on his shoulder, nearly making his son trip. "Well then. Don't let me get in the way, my son. Go ahead," he trailed off, glasses glinting. Neku wasted no time in yanking his shoes on and shot out the door.

Neku's father pushed his glasses further up his nose as he watched his son's hasty departure, eerie smile never faded. He walked back up the stairs to... have a word with Neku's... friend.

After Neku's departure, Joshua had comfortably laid back down on the bed, arms crossed behind his head. He was trying his hardest to think of something...any plan that'd work. "Who am I kidding?..." he murmured to himself, rubbing his forehead.

Two polite knocks rung out from the closed bedroom door, disrupting his thoughts.

Joshua perked up. Was Neku back already?... "Come in?" he stated gently, figuring it was his friend so therefore not bothering to fix up his ravished appearance.

The door slid open and Joshua became face to face with someone who was, again, not Neku for the second time that day. His stern face a perfectly blank mask, Neku's father greeted him pleasantly. "Good evening, ah, Joshua, was it?"

"Good evening Mr. Sakuraba," the Composer responded politely, tensing a bit.

The creepily enigmatic man smiled, seeming satisfied with his response. The glare of the bedroom lights reflected off his glasses, making it impossible to discern his expression but it was obvious that the dark blue gaze was surveying the room, paying special attention to Joshua's rumpled appearance and choice of outfit. "I do hope my son has been treating you well."

"Very well, sir," Joshua answered smoothly, uneasily rubbing his arm as he lifted his gaze to stare at the older male.

"I... see," said Neku's father ambiguously. "I apologize for not introducing myself before running out this morning. I am, as you're probably guessed, Neku's father. I wasn't aware that you were staying tonight as well...?"

"...My parents are out of town for a week and things have been hectic around my house...so Neku offered to let me stay with him until they returned," the silveret made up rather quickly, biting his bottom lip awkwardly.

"Well," Neku's father said loudly, looking inappropriately cheerful all of a sudden, eyes crinkling at the corners, "that was very kind of my Neku to offer. I'm very delighted to have you here with us, Joshua. Please stay as long as you like."

"Thank you for having me, sir," Joshua interjected swiftly afterwards, bowing his head somewhat. For some reason, this man gave him more than just the creeps.

"It's my pleasure; there's no need to be so formal young man!" laughed who was possibly the scariest man in the world. Then his demeanor reverted back to one of grave seriousness. His sharp eyes had caught Joshua holding his sore arm. "I don't mean to pry, but... You appear to be experiencing some... discomfort?" he questioned.

"Pulled it the other day rearranging my room," Joshua answered, cursing Neku mentally for leaving him alone in a house with this man. "It's not big deal, it'll heal shortly; it's already been bandaged up."

Joshua's attempt at placating the unpredictable man appeared to have the opposite effect. His eyebrows rose almost to his hairline in alarm. "That must be some... injury, to require bandages. Did Neku happen to do it for you? I recall the first aid kit was left out when I came home."

"Yes, sir. I figured I'd just let it heal naturally but Neku convinced me otherwise," the Composer responded, trailing off towards the end. Neku _had_ done a lot for him in the short time span of two days.

"Hmm," the man mused, "I suppose it was a good idea to have it treated. Though," he trailed off slightly, "it seems a bit... irresponsible for you parents not to have looked at it for you, doesn't it. But do forgive me; I appear to be running off at the mouth!" he chuckled, patting Joshua's head good-naturedly. "Well, I suppose I'll get dinner ready. Is there anything you'd like, Joshua?"

"I'll pass, but thank you for offering," the silveret stated and offered the best smile he could muster up, which was hard considering he never smiled.

"If you're sure," said the man, still smiling. "Well, I'm sure Neku will be back soon. We'll continue this lovely chat at another time, then." And with that, he left Joshua alone in the room.

Joshua wasn't really looking forward to that promised continuation. When the man left, he collapsed back against the bed and groaned. "That must have looked quite bad...me appearing like some ravished girl, wearing Neku's clothes...in his bed...Lovely," he huffed and closed his eyes. "I can only imagine what he's going to say to his son."


	3. Chapter 3

Coup D'Etat

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 3**

It had taken a while to plow through the crowds and longer still before Neku finally succeeded in purchasing Joshua's precious ramen as Ken Doi had been unusually popular that night (though that could have been attributed to Eiji Oji's unexpected appearance). Neku inwardly cursed Joshua's stubbornness as he hurriedly thanked the owner of Ramen Don before he seized his purchase and fled, neglecting even to pick up his change. He belatedly realized that in his haste to escape his father's uncomfortable inquiries, he had essentially condemned the Composer to face the man's tender mercies alone.

Well, said a vindictive voice in his head that vaguely sounded like Pi-Face, it served the radian right for killing him. Twice.

Shibuya at night bustled energetically to life beneath a sky lit up by a myriad of artificial lights. The redhead's rushed strides were filled with urgency, though some part of him had longed to remain amongst them and take in the symphony of voices that surrounded him. So tempting the urge was, he would have given in if not for the cartoon of cooling ramen swung with from inside a plain plastic bag, banging into his legs with every few steps.

At last, Neku made it back to his house unscathed and unmolested. He jammed his keys in the doorknob and flew into the house. Kicking off his shoes, he raced up the stairs, hoping to see Joshua where he left him.

Joshua was, in fact, was where Neku left him, curled up on his bed. His face was rather pale and he had passed out again, sleeping soundly, curled around a pillow. He, in that moment, looked rather vulnerable and like any other teenage boy.

Neku gently set down the ramen containers onto his desk before hurrying over to inspect the other boy whose condition had somehow worsened. Frowning, he berated himself for not returning sooner. From the looks of it, Joshua still hadn't had anything to eat yet. He debated on waking the Composer though he loathed to disturb his much-needed rest. Hesitantly, he reached over to shake Joshua's shoulders.

Before Neku could do such, the Composer's vibrant orange cell phone went off, on the floor a few feet away from the bed. The ring tone was generic, surprisingly, but loud as hell.

Out of reflex that had been drilled into him during the Reaper's Game, Neku had snatched it up and flipped it open before he realized that he shouldn't be answering Joshua's phone.

"J, you there?" boomed the familiar voice of cafe owner Sanae Hanekoma, sounding a bit weary and rather exhausted.

"M-Mr. H!" exclaimed Neku, in relief. Then he blushed at being caught doing something he shouldn't have. "Uhh, sorry but, Joshua's asleep. I'll go wake him for you, then?"

"Nah, it's fine. Let the kid sleep," the black-haired male chuckled into the phone. "I suppose I'll just relay the message to you, then. Take a seat, if you ain't already seated, Phones."

That certainly sounded ominous. "O-Ok," said Neku as he sunk to his floor, cross-legged. "Is there trouble?"

"...Well, the UG is kinda falling apart because it doesn't have a permanent Conductor yet. There's been a lot more Reapers and Players being attacked by feral, untamed noise. There's no order and it's basically just chaos," Sanae sighed.

"So," Neku frowned, the new tidbit of info raising a lot of questions, "This mess is because there isn't a Conductor? Wouldn't everything work out if Josh just made Lollipop's position permanent then?"

"Things don't work that way, Phones." Mr. H grumbled some to himself before his voice became audible again. "Shibuya sort of picks its own Conductor, in a way. The Composer knows who it picks, of course, because the Composer is the Composer, after all. Josh knows who Shibuya picked, but he'll be damned if he acts on it."

"But... but that's just _stupid_!" Neku whispered harshly so not to wake the person in question. "He's going to risk his life, Shibuya... everything! Just because he doesn't... like who the City picked or something?"

"Oh, it's not a matter of liking who the City picked," Mr. H murmured to himself and inhaled deeply. "Let's just leave it at that. In other news..." He waited a moment, clearing his throat. "Kariya told me to relay the message to Josh that the Shibuya River is still standing strong and hasn't been attacked yet."

"I'll tell him that," Neku sighed into the phone, fiddling with Joshua's cell phone charm. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, one more thing." Mr. Hanekoma almost seemed hesitant. "Tell Josh that he'd be an idiot to let you go again. Later, Phones." With that, the older male hung up.

"..." Neku sat, frozen with confusion. "What?" he demanded of the dial tone. As usual, the two higher beings were infuriatingly cryptic. Neku realized that he really needed some different company, having had only dealt with weirdos for the entire day. (The weirdest probably being his own father.)

Joshua stirred a few moments after the phone call had ended, skinny body arching in a similar fashion to a cat. "Hrm...Neku?" he mumbled drowsily into the pillow, violet eyes slipping open.

Quickly, Neku stuffed the cell phone into Joshua's discarded shirt and pushed it out of sight. "Oh, hey. Uh, I got your stupid ramen."

Joshua yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Oh," he responded laconically and stretched again. He spotted the carton in a small bag near him and snagged it, snapping open the pack of chopsticks before opening the carton as well, settling his body back against the headboard. Wordlessly, he hoisted a few noodles into his mouth and sighed quietly to himself. Going a day without food, and having a curse, was not a good idea.

Neku slumped, back leaning against a leg of his writing table and for a few moments, just watched Joshua dig into his first meal in over a day. "By the way, Mr. H called a little while ago." He hoped his father was asleep by now, definitely not in the mood to explain if he walked in on a bizarre conversation.

"Mmm?" Joshua asked over a mouthful of ramen, brow arching in inquiry.

"He basically said to tell you that Kariya was holding down the fort at the River." Neku absently plucked a strand of silver hair from his shirt. "They're still standing strong in the UG."

"That's good," Joshua said after a bite, eyes far more distant than usual. He resumed eating, not saying another word on the matter.

"And..." Neku stopped, unsure if he wanted to mention Mr. Hanekoma's last befuddling sentence.

"And?" Joshua lowered the chopsticks from his mouth, brow arched again.

"And... never mind." Neku decided to bring it up once he actually figured out what it meant. "It can wait."

Joshua frowned, rolled his eyes, and went back to eating his Shio Ramen. And of course, "Mmm...I'm in paradise"

Neku actually cracked a wry smile at that. It had greatly annoyed him when they first met, but he had grown tolerant, if not almost fond, of Joshua's tendencies to say strange things. "Feeling better?"

Joshua looked over to Neku, some of his color returning. "Oh, I suppose," he stated dramatically before pointing a chopstick at Neku. "Have you eaten yet?"

Now that he mentioned it, Neku realized with a jolt that he hadn't. "No..." he admitted, though he was far too exhausted to even think about getting off his floor and drag himself downstairs to cook something.

Joshua rolled his eyes and slipped off the bed and headed over to where Neku was and promptly sat down. He offered one of his chopsticks to the red-head and smirked. "Hm...I suppose I can share."

Neku eyed the proffered utensil dubiously. "I'll go grab another pair." He started the tedious task of getting to his feet.

Joshua pondered for a moment and stubbornly snagged Neku's nearest arm, dragging him back down into a sitting position. "Think of something else, you're not leaving me alone in a room again."

The redhead blanched in response. "Oh." He tried to stop himself from fidgeting. "Did... My dad didn't... He didn't say anything _weird_ to you, did he?"

"He said he was glad that you found such a nice boyfriend to call your own," Joshua hummed, resuming eating with a serious look sprawled across his face.

"..." said Neku. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

Joshua giggled quietly, eyes sparkling with mischief. "He said that if you didn't treat me right to tell him," the silveret cooed.

Neku stared at nothing in particular, brain having broken apart with a very audible _crack_. "Shit," he replied. "_Shit_. That is... Really, really bad."

"...Neku, are you all right?" Joshua questioned with not much care, extending a slender hand out to touch the boy's forehead to check his temperature, knowing full well he wasn't sick.

That snapped the boy out of his horrified trance. "No, I'm _not_ alright!! I'm going to _die_!" he whimpered, eyes starting to develop a crazed sort of sheen. "He... he thinks... He thinks I brought home a _guy_ and--!!"

"And?" Joshua questioned curiously, head tilting. He was interested to see where this rant was going before he stopped it.

"And?" Neku roared, "and... and _did stuff_! And somehow, this is _all your fault_!"

Joshua giggled some. "Oh Neku, you're so amusing when you're flustered. No, your father didn't tell me those things. He simply apologized for rushing out earlier this morning and asked about my arm."

Neku abruptly fell silent, eyes shadowed by his bangs. "Oh. I... see," he said in a voice that trembled with barely suppressed emotion. "So... you were just making all that up...?" His lips slowly drew apart, stretching into a very, very wide, maniacal grin. "What a... relief."

Joshua rolled his eyes at once. "Oh come now, Neku. Surely having your dad think you were crooked isn't that bad," the silveret stated nonchalantly.

Neku let out something that resembled like a hysterical giggle. "I'm going to kill you slowly."

"...Excuse me?" Joshua questioned and blinked over at his partner.

"Nothing, nothing," said Neku. He flashed Joshua a pleasant smile with his eyes forming suspiciously happy arcs.

"Neku, what are you going on about?" Joshua demanded, setting down the ramen carefully between them so he could childishly fold his arms to his chest.

"Your arms must be tired," said Neku cheerfully, ignoring the other's question. He picked up the unfinished container and the chopsticks. "Here, how about I feed you the rest of it?" he asked and without missing a beat, proceeded to ruthlessly shove the noodles down the Composer's throat.

Joshua sputtered and used his good arm to shove at Neku's. "Neku!" he stated, muffled, through mouthfuls of noodles and wood. "Stop that!"

Neku smiled beatifically, carrying on calmly as if nothing was wrong. "Eat up, Josh. I wouldn't want my father to think I'm... mistreating you."

Joshua twitched, now raising his hand up to attempt to block his mouth. "What you're doing is treating me like a baby, now cut it out, Neku," he cursed.

With a casual flick of the chopsticks, Neku batted away the hand with expert ease, delivering down the next mouthful especially hard. "Oh come on, Josh. It's good to be pampered once in a while."

"And why are you pampering me?" Joshua grumbled and then began chewing.

"Because I finally have _such a nice boyfriend to call my own_," replied Neku, saturating the last words with menace.

Out in the hall, Neku's pajama-clad father smiled a little at the heartwarming scene before returning to bed.

Joshua glowered and flinched away at last, shoving at Neku's arm as he did so. "You, Neku Sakuraba, are by far the most immature and simple-minded person in the entire planes!"

"Yes I am," Neku answered agreeably. He looked down at the now empty container. "I'll go and throw this out now." And he left the room, victorious.

Joshua huffed and leaned against the wall, face staining itself a light pink as his partner left. "What an imbecile," he murmured to himself, lifting his hand to push his hair back, acutely aware of the blush that now adorned his cheeks.

.

"Neku."

The aforementioned boy froze on his way back to his room. He swallowed and turned to the owner of the voice. "Yes, Dad?"

Glasses off and dark hair tickling his eyes, Neku's father smiled at him. This time, however, it was gentle. "You found a good one, son. Don't let him go." Clasping his teenager's shoulder paternally, the man disappeared back into his bedroom and shut the door.

Neku was left standing in the hall. And sighed. Of course.

Of fucking course.

.

After having failed to reach Joshua on his cell-phone (why would the kid have it off at such a crucial time as this? Then again, it was nearly midnight), Sanae Hanekoma decided it would be best to head down to the Shibuya River and check in with the Conductor considering the Composer couldn't do it himself. So, the black-haired, tall male began his trek down the quiet, desolated streets of Shibuya, fiddling with his phone as he walked. This mess shouldn't have started, but that didn't mean it couldn't be fixed. With a heavy sigh, the Producer pushed all thoughts of guilt and destruction out of his head and replaced them with ideas on how to solve this. The answer was obvious, but Joshua wasn't one to budge once he had made his mind up. The Producer needed to think of an alternate way end this uprising of chaos in the UG... as well as the RG. Apparently, as Sanae had heard from Players and Reapers who had wandered into his cafe earlier that night, crime had begun to rise in the RG. Reapers and Players were only more aware of this fact than those in the RG simply because they were invisible. They could see things that criminals thought were nicely hidden from wandering eyes.

"It's all just a mess," Sanae grumbled to himself, hoping desperately that the connection to the rising crime-rate in the RG wasn't connected to the chaos in the UG. Possessed Reapers? Noise spawning from seemingly nothing...?

When Sanae Hanekoma finally reached the entrance to the River and had made it down to the lounge where the Conductor usually was, he was a bit relieved. "Kariya, you in?" he called, hand pushing open the door as he glanced about the familiar room.

The temporary Conductor's perpetually unruffled demeanor was somewhat lacking, lazy slouch replaced with something a bit more rigid and weary. Even his trademark bean paste had left his mouth, rewrapped for safekeeping in his hoodie. "Mr. Hanekoma," he acknowledged the other male, too drained for pleasantries, "What brings you here?"

"Since I can't get in contact with the Composer, figured you were the next best thing," the dark-haired male explained, shoulders falling into a shrug as he casually sauntered over, hands nestled into his pockets.

Kariya let out an exaggerated sigh. "So that means I'll be stuck here a while longer, doesn't it?" he asked rhetorically. He knew he had doubts about taking the job from the beginning, but things were rapidly deteriorating. It was, to say the least, horribly difficult to strike back against an enemy that hid their tracks so well. At the moment, the Game had been suspended and all the weaker Reapers and some of the Players had been rounded up and sent to a safe zone, guarded by Uzuki. This decision was partly to keep her out of immediate harm, and partly so that she couldn't barge into the room, guns a-blazing. Leaning back on his tall chair, he cleared away the now towering stacks of paperwork so to see the Producer better. "What can I do for you?"

"There's been problems in the other plane--the RG," Sanae explained, leaning a hand against the desk with a worried look spreading across his face. "Crime-rate has spiked. I assume it's just because the UG isn't doing all that well, but I've never seen it get his bad, even when Kitanji and the Composer were playing their Game. I'm worried that if we don't find whoever is doing this, both planes will fall. The Composer has yet to inform his pick for Conductor about the job...and although you're doing a marvelous job, Kariya, without the true Conductor's music, 'm afraid that things will continue to come undone."

Kariya rubbed circles on his temples. "Unfortunately, there isn't anything that we can do about the RG at the moment," he admitted, exhaling loudly. "First off, the Reapers already have their hands full with the Rogue Noise. We figured out that there's no way to engage them safely; anyone who comes directly in contact with them have their Frequencies... well, damaged is really the only way to put it. And speakin' of Frequencies, something's making it a lot harder to change ours. The off duty Reapers can't come back, so we're really short on manpower."

Sanae allowed his hand to reach up and drift through his gelled hair, obviously bothered by that information. "Hopefully that hasn't happened to the Composer," he murmured and shook his head. "I'm going to attempt to get in contact with him again. Perhaps he has thought of something to do to end this." That was, if Joshua wasn't too busy making amends with his ex-proxy.

"Did you find out anything more about what's makin' the Noise?" Kariya questioned. He his last report from one of the Reapers in the field had been cut off, worrying him greatly. They needed the Composer, more than anything at this point in time.

Sanae sucked in a deep breath, smacking his lips together. "Not exactly...though I am starting to think our threat is a single person tampering with the planes. Someone able to see into the UG and be in the RG simultaneously."

"A single person?" The only sign of surprise from the (unwilling) Conductor was a raised eyebrow. "That's... rather troublin' for someone to have that kind of power. Could it be another Composer?"

"J- Our Composer would have sensed another Composer's presence. Composer's are bound to their own cities. The chance of another is highly unlikely," Mr. Hanekoma reasoned

Well, that was another possibility dashed. "I just thought it wouldn't have been farfetched to assume that someone is takin' advantage of Shibuya missing a Conductor to try to expand their territory." Kariya reached into his pockets to retrieve his candy, wrapping his teeth around the stick in agitation. "So, you contacted the Composer after he went into the RG, right? What was his situation?"

Sanae appeared to be in deep thought. "He's hiding out. If he falls, our world collaspes as well. He's hiding out with Neku Sakuraba." His gaze lifted, a bit curious to see Kariya's reaction to those words.

"Ah..." said the orange haired Reaper. He thought back to the ex-Player's second week and his fairer partner whom he had mistakenly pegged as alive. "It seems Phones just can't seem to get away, doesn't it?"

"Precisely," Mr. Hanekoma chuckled and faltered. "...Kariya, Shibuya and the Composer chose Phones to be their Conductor..."

Kariya nodded, not as surprised as the other thought he would be, tapping his chin, contemplative. "I sort of figured as much. His Soul really is powerful, 'specially after he beat Megumi Kitaniji."

He paused. "But why doesn't the Composer just tell him?"

"He doesn't want Phones involved in the Game again. The three weeks he spent here nearly broke him, the Composer is aware of that," the Producer explained and rubbed his forehead with exasperation. "I'm at a loss for what to do."

Kariya shook his head disappointedly. "Weird, it isn't like the Composer to put one person over Shibuya. But... there isn't anything else for us to do but to hold out for as long as possible. After all," he fixed the Producer with a solemn look, "it's His decision."

"That's what I keep telling myself, Kai. That's what I keep telling myself," the black-haired male murmured to himself, mirroring the Conductor's look.

.

After Neku's encounter with his father, he was back in his room, shoulders slumped. He couldn't help but mull over his advice, advice that had unnervingly mirrored Mr. Hanekoma's words which were meant for Joshua. _Don't let him go_. What exactly had they meant by that? He decided to put off his pondering until morning, groggily noting that he was tired again, even after his impromptu nap. His stomach growled, reminding them that he had force-fed the remainder of the ramen to Joshua. Maybe he should have sucked it up and just had some...?

"What the hell took you so long?" the silver-haired Composer grumbled from his placement on the bed. He was lying on his side, cheek pressed to the pillow, looking as comfortable as ever.

"No reason," said Neku evasively. He prodded Joshua with his foot, a little annoyed at how he had made himself completely at home. "Off. I'll go ready the guestroom for you."

Joshua groaned in response, rubbing his cheek stubbornly against the pillow. "Oh but Neku, I'm rather comfortable here. Surely you won't mind sharing your bed with a Soul in need, hrm?"

Neku sighed, not really having enough energy to quarrel. "You'll be just as comfortable somewhere else," he argued feebly. "This is _my_ bed."

"Which I'm already on. I'm too tired to move," the Composer complained, stretching his limbs some as he laid there, a smirk rolling onto his lips.

And so Neku gave up. "Fine," he grunted, searching his drawers for a spare bed sheet to spread on the ground. "Have your way then."

"You don't want to sleep in the same bed as me, Neku?" Joshua wondered, glancing across at the red-head curiously.

The boy paused in his rummaging and fixed the Composer with a low-powered glare. "And have my dad come in and ask awkward questions. No, not really." He finally dragged a sheet out and shook it, wincing a bit from the dust.

"We're both dressed. Stop being stubborn," Joshua grumbled, patting the spot next to him drowsily.

"I'm doing this for my peace of mind," explained Neku, dragging the thin covering beside his bed. He lay on it, trying and failing to find a comfortable spot. The floor dug into his bones, but he wasn't about to admit it. "Good night."

Joshua frowned, staring over the edge of the bed. He said nothing for a moment, pale eyes staring down at Neku. "...Good night, then."

"Mm," came the tired reply. "See you in the morning, Josh."

"...See you then," Joshua echoed, voice trailing off as he closed his eyes, unable to stare at his ex-proxy any longer. He tried to sleep, but found that it would not come, so instead settled up lying there quietly, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for the red-head to pass out.

Neku's breaths slowly evened out, his chest rising and falling gently. The moon shone through a gap in the curtains, bathing the boy's peaceful features in its gentle glow.

After around thirty minutes of sleepless turning, the Composer lifted his thin body up from the bed and lingered near the window. "I shouldn't be here," he murmured spitefully to himself, voice quieter than a whisper. "I told myself I wouldn't involve him again, and here I am, selfishly getting him involved," he muttered and looked over his shoulder at the boy. "I know you haven't forgiven me for what you've done yet...I'm not sure if I've forgiven myself either." The silveret shrugged indifferently and walked over, footsteps barely making a sound.

"Sleep well, Neku," the Composer whispered, voice far softer than his usual chiding. He bent down and ran his pale fingers through the boy's bangs, hesitating, before dropping his lips to the other's forehead. He sighed, shaking his head at himself, before standing back up. "Hopefully I didn't cause you too much trouble."

With that, and a weary glance over his shoulder, the Composer left quietly out the door, form flickering lightly as he walked. He wasn't one to stand around and let the UG crumble, nor was he one to stay where he shouldn't be. But for some reason, leaving his ex-proxy was one of the single most hardest things he had ever done.


	4. Chapter 4

Coup D'Etat

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 4**

The view of Shibuya spread beneath him against the backdrop of stars was especially breathtaking that night. From his place on top of the office building, he could see all of the minute details of his beloved city; the lights, the streets, and the telltale glow of wandering Souls. Suddenly, a prickling sensation ran down his neck, alerting him of the almost unnoticeable spike in Frequency, signaling that his target had once again revealed itself. He laughed, exhilarated, into the darkness and stepped off the edge, plunging downward.

Joshua walked wordlessly down the cold and empty streets, the lively Music for once not lightening his mood. This time, he walked alone without his ex-partner by his side. The Composer sighed, mentally cursing himself for even coming to Neku for help in the beginning. He should have just left the RG boy alone.

"Yen for your thoughts, my dear Composer?" came a sudden voice that echoed around him, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. A cruel, unnatural melody resonated through the streets, drowning out the city's sounds.

Joshua stiffened, throat going dry. "What a trite saying," he remarked calmly, a frown appearing on his nonchalant expression.

A low chuckle came from right beside his ear; close enough that he could feel the other's breath. "It's been a while since our last encounter. Tell me, how have you been holding up?"

"Oh, just grand," Joshua reasoned and flexed his hand by his side, standing motionlessly on the street. "And yourself?"

"Never better, now that you're here," Joshua's unknown assailant purred and with that, he vanished from behind him, presence once again masked. "I notice you still have that little gift I gave you."

"I'd appreciate it greatly if you removed it," Joshua stated darkly, eyes narrowing harshly. "I have a job and city to attend to, and you're making it quite difficult to get anything done."

The other chuckled again, clearly not having any intention to oblige him. "My, my. Managing a city seems to be such hard work, especially for someone as delicate as you are in your current state. So why don't I take the job off your hands?"

"And willingly let this city be destroyed?" Joshua laughed without mirth, eyes set off in the distant. "Why don't you extract yourself from this situation before I recover and erase you, hm? Stop messing with things you have no right to be involved in."

The disembodied voice spoke up again, sounding a touch angry. "I'm hardly _destroying_ this city. If anything, my changes are... improving it. History is written by the victor, as they say. By that reasoning, once you've been removed, that would make Shibuya mine to do with as I please."

"I'm not letting you get away with this, nor am I stepping down from my position. If you're interested in a fight, I'll be glad to give you one once I am back in the UG," the Composer seethed rather irritably, sounding defensive.

The swirling shadows shifted until they condensed, forming a sneering face, mere inches before his own. "You take me for a fool," it scowled before dissipating. "I'm not so overconfident to assume I can match you in actual combat. No, I believe this way is... far more entertaining."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "That's quite low... having to dethrone me through a Psych? Hah...what a true warrior," he stated sarcastically.

"You're assuming I'm the type that likes to get his hands dirty. Well, 'whatever works' happens to be more my style." Without warning, tendrils of darkness sprung forward, materializing from the shadows, intent on impaling the Composer where he stood.

Joshua's body reacted instantly to the vines and wisps of darkness that surged forward to claim him. Quickly, the Composer used the limited powers he had to teleport to a spot a few feet away, but not coming out completely unscathed, darkness having scraped against his arm.

His efforts to evade roused another round of cruel chuckles from his attacker who made no efforts to let himself be seen just yet. "And, there you have it. Much more effective, wouldn't you agree?"

Joshua clutched his arm, the scrapes of darkness having attacked both his face and neck as well. "If you think this counts as effective, I can see where your plan is flawed."

"Oh?" was the mocking reply which was accompanied by the ground beneath the Composer exploding. "Care to enlighten me exactly where?"

Joshua lurched to the right, his pant leg becoming caught and tearing. "But telling would ruin the fun and excitement," the Composer growled, visibly shaken.

"Indeed it would. And I'd hate for our _fun_ to be cut short." Joshua's assailant fully materialized for the first time that night, shooting towards the Composer's weakest form with elongated claws extending from his finger tips.

Joshua grimaced and quickly dodged, light forming in his palm and shooting it directly at his attacker, body tensing.

His enemy was forced to shift his trajectory, pausing to deflect the attack with his claws with a bit of effort. The previously shadowed face was momentarily lit up as the beam passed, revealing youthful but hardened features that were only a couple years older than Joshua's current form. "Not bad," he admitted.

Joshua groaned and clutched his arm harder, drops of blood slipping from his neck and face. "I'd say the same, but I've seen far worse," he stated coldly. "I suggest we do this another time--away from the RG and wandering eyes."

Having stopped a couple meters away, the teenager smirked, flicking away a bit of his dark brown fringe. "You don't have to worry about any unwanted intrusions. For you see," he gestured grandly around where they stood, "I've already reconfigured this area." True to his words, not a single soul was in sight.

Joshua tensed, looking around nervously. "How the...How the _hell _did you manage that?" the Composer spat, violet eyes turning to glare at him.

"Ah, ah. It seems like someone's not very well informed," the man laughed, wiggling a finger. "Well, actions speak louder than words, after all." He closed his eyes and the shadows that surrounded his body began twisting into shapes, forming into Noise; a couple of Jelly Neocoustics and a few Shrews. He patted one of the jellies lovingly. "Practically indistinguishable from regular Noise, but... these babies carry a bit of a surprise."

Joshua eyed the noise, eyes sparkling with confusion and fear. "Ability to form Noise, huh? My my, you are certainly the clever one," he muttered, tensing further.

"I'm flattered that you think so, Composer," the man said in tones that betrayed his words. "Why don't you test them out?" And with that, the Noise that were hovering around him flew into motion. Obscene tentacles flashed forward, attempting to dig themselves into Joshua's skin.

The electricity and power shooting from the limbs of the Noise came in contact a few times with the Composer as he ducked out of another violent thrash. "I don't have time for this nonsense," he spat and quickly tuned his Frequency so that it was higher--not enough to cross into the UG, but enough to not be visible in the RG. If only he _could_ cross into the UG.

"You're starting to look a little tired. Why don't you lie down for a bit?" The assailant let a malicious smirk spread across his lips. Out of nowhere, a Shrew burst from the ground aiming for Joshua's unprotected back.

Joshua flinched, the claws digging somewhat in his back before he could spin around and shot a blade of light towards the Noise. "You're going to destroy Shibuya," the Composer spat; ignoring the intense pain he was now in for the moment.

This made the teen shake his head in mock sadness. "You think too lowly of me. I wouldn't destroy the city that I love so much."

Joshua twitched, breathing in harshly. "Overthrowing me now would serve no purpose. You have no witnesses."

"Hmm, I do suppose you're right," said the attacker unexpectedly, tapping his chin in thought. "Perhaps we should reschedule our little encounter." He flashed out of sight, and a second later had grabbed the Composer by the wrist. "But first, I shall give you another parting gift."

Joshua snarled, holding back any sign of pain. "Pray tell," he murmured darkly.

His explanation came in the form of an eruption of white hot pain on his palm.

"S-shit," Joshua hissed and tried to pull his wrist away, eyes shutting halfway.

The older boy grinned at him, teeth flashing in the darkness. "You have three more days to hand over your throne. Fail and _face erasure_, my dear Composer," he cooed, voice dripping with irony. He almost lovingly traced the decrementing red numbers on Joshua's palm once, visible only to him for now, before letting go and retreating.

Joshua stared in confusion, holding his wrist painfully as he watched the brown-haired figure depart. The Composer laughed emptily to himself and stared down the desolate streets. No point in standing around, he figured, and headed towards Wildkat, spirit semi-broken.

.

It was around two in the morning, give or take a few minutes, when the door to Wildkat opened with a small jingle of a bell. The cafe owner, who had fallen asleep behind the counter once again, jolted awake and groggily rubbed his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but once it focused, a large frown fell upon him.

"Boss?" the Producer inquired, sitting up straighter and rubbing his eyes in attempts to appear halfway awake. "The hell you doin' here?"

"I won't stand by and let Shibuya crumble," the silveret murmured, voice visibly shaken and less powerful than it ought to have been with such a statement.

The Producer's eyebrows furrowed and was about to reply before he fell silent, noticing the gashes and how Joshua was holding his already injured arm. Small splotches of dried, and new, blood littered his face and the skin on his arms, his violet eyes averted to keep from shamefully meeting the elder's.

"What the hell happened?" Mr. Hanekoma questioned, getting up from his chair and slowly walking around the counter towards the Composer.

"Ran into a bit of a colorful fellow," Joshua muttered, voice dripping with venom. His eyes remained cast off to the side, his breathing irregular. "The effects of the Psych weakened my powers more than I expected. But I think I penned our guy. At least now I know his face now."

"...Does Phones know you're here?" Sanae asked, inspecting the cuts from where he stood. He turned around and headed back around the counter, in search for something to clean and wrap them with so that they could avoid a horrid infection.

"No," Joshua answered quietly, gaze settling upon the floor. "I left an hour ago--he was asleep. I don't want him involved with this, Sanae."

Sanae sighed some. "Come back into the other room and I'll fix ya up...you're not leaving this cafe again until we sort this mess out...for Shibuya's sake and mine," he grumbled and headed into said room, Joshua following quietly, and brokenly, behind.

.

The first thing that Neku registered upon waking up was that there wasn't a single part of his body that was not screaming in agony. Squinting at the window, the boy noted that the sun had only just risen. He rolled over with a groan, facing away from the piercing light. Then he paused. The room was disturbingly still. There should have been two sets of breathing but all he could hear was his own. He sat up and was met with the sight of his empty bed, the sheets folded neatly at the side.

With a shaking hand, Neku traced the area where Joshua's spine had left an indentation in the mattress, not finding any vestiges of body heat left. Something told him that the Composer hadn't gone for an innocuous trip to the bathroom. A glance at the floor grimly told him that Joshua's clothes and cell phone were also gone. His fingers violently dug into the coverlet where the silverhaired boy had been curled up mere hours ago.

"You idiot," he choked out. "You stupid _asshole_."

He stood abruptly. There was no sense in just sitting there and feeling sorry for himself. Ten minutes later, he was dressed and out the door, dashing to the only place that Joshua could have gone to.

.

It was five at Wildkat, and Sanae had been up for the past few hours. Joshua was passed out in the backroom, cuts and scrapes covered and pride damaged. The silveret had informed his Producer that the male who attacked him had appeared to be a mere teenager, albeit one hell-bent on destruction and power, and had provided a thorough description, even mentioning the shapes of the man's ears. The Composer had left nothing out before passing out, body curled up on the couch. The Psych was affecting him badly, both mentally and physically, and the strain of not being able to cross over into the UG, _his_ UG, was taking things over the top.

Suddenly, a loud crash from the front of the café broke through the silence followed by a frantic shout. "Mr. H! Joshua's gone!" The front door had been flung open with such vehemence that the welcome bells clanged unpleasantly against the glass.

Sanae slipped away from the coffee pot and looked over his shoulder. "Whoah...calm down, Phones. He's...gone?" His voice sounded strained.

Neku was quite the slight; hastily done up clothing, flushed face and his wild orange mane made even messier from being windblown. Panting with exertion, he wore the most heartbroken look that the Angel had ever seen. "He – he wasn't there when I woke up. He took his stuff too. Mr. H," Neku's expression became one of desperate pleading, "Please tell me he's here and ... and... and not lying in a ditch somewhere!"

Sanae sighed, rubbing his hand uneasily against the back of his neck. "He was...here earlier. Said he was gonna try and fix everythin' considering he's the Composer and all. I'm sure he'll be fine." He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"But... but he—he's in no shape to fix _anything_ right now!" the frantic boy exclaimed. "I... And you just let him go?" Neku stared at him in accusation, disbelief spreading across his features. How could CAT—the one man he looked up to, _his idol_—have been such a callous person?

"Joshua's stronger than you give him credit for," Mr. Hanekoma reasoned and shook his head in dismay. "Guess you didn't relay the message after all," the dark-haired male murmured to himself with a sigh.

A wave of dizzying hysteria welled up in the redhead's chest as his blood began to pump all too loudly in his ears. Joshua... Joshua was out there where a madman thirsted for his blood and he had virtually no way to defend himself. He took a few steadying breaths and succeeded in staving off the worst of the anxiety. He hadn't panicked this much since being threatened by erasure, though this time the feeling was decidedly worse as he didn't even have a timer to tell him how long until it was too late.

"I'm... I'm going to look for him," he declared quietly.

Mr. Hanekoma blinked in surprise. "Phones I...wouldn't do that. I wouldn't want you putting yourself in danger," he chuckled. "I'm sure he'll be back around here once he's learned something..."

"Mr. H, I don't think we've told you before, but Joshua and I were attacked by something right after we visited you last time," Neku revealed. "That means whoever's responsible for this whole mess is most likely watching this area. I have to... I have to go after him."

"You don't have to do anything, Phones. It isn't your place. Joshua's a big boy, he'll be fine," Sanae grumbled and uneasily went about cleaning the counter, trying not to make eye contact.

Neku shook his head furiously. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I don't." He pushed the front door ajar and had already taken a step out before the café owner could stop him. "I'll see you later, Mr. H."

"Phones, wait..." Sanae licked his lips uneasily, looking to the red-head with uneasiness.

But the ex-Player had already left and was briskly walking away, almost at a run.

Mr. H sighed and looked over his shoulder, towards the closed door where Joshua slept. "You better be glad I covered for you, Boss," he mumbled and rubbed his temples. "Let's just hope Phones doesn't get into too much trouble 'cause you're being stubborn..."

Neku was a couple blocks away before he stopped running. He caught his breath against a vandalized wall, hopelessly scanning the crowds for Joshua's familiar pale countenance. His constant headache had migrated from irritating but tolerable to outright excruciating in the Composer's absence. He punched the brick in frustration and swore loudly, earning him a few troubled looks from people passing by. "Joshua...! Where _are_ you?"

"Are you lost, little boy?"

A red-hooded figure appeared a few feet away from Neku; eyes concealed beneath the shadow his hood casted. His lips, still visible, curled into a smirk, noting the energy wave around the boy, along with the negative vibes he was shooting out, attracting regular Noise in the UG. The Reaper's smirk grew as he resisted the urge to extend his wings from their hiding place, not wanting to attract a crowd.

Neku tensed reflexively and glared at the familiar uniform, blue eyes narrowing at the demeaning greeting. "No, I'm not," he spat out warily, feeling as if something was out of place.

The Reaper sniggered. "My boss sent me to fetch you. Says you'd work real well in his plan."

"Your... boss?" Neku questioned carefully, the dangerous aura emanating from the shady Reaper made him doubt that he meant Lollipop.

"Yessire," the Reaper chimed, hands stuffing into his pockets as his shadow-cast eyes seemed to glow. "Says you're the key ingredient in his stew of success."

Neku blanched badly at the food-related metaphor. "Please don't tell me you work for Ram Crotch."

"Ram Crotch?" The Reaper burst out in laughter. "No sir, don't know who that is." A tongue slipped out and licked the perimeter of his lips. "Now, be kind and follow me so I don't have to lay any bruises on ya."

The redhead crossed his arms defiantly and raised an eyebrow. "If you put it that way, I think I'll be resisting. Sorry."

The Reaper smirked rather darkly and extended his arm, hand glowing black as reached for Neku's arm.

That certainly didn't bode well. Neku leapt backwards until he was a safe distance away. He mused wryly that he probably shouldn't have rushed out so hastily. But then his resolve hardened as he recalled that Joshua's whereabouts were still unknown. "What are you planning?" he asked to buy time, but not expecting the Reaper to provide a real answer. One hand reached into his pocket to punch in a text message.

The Reaper chuckled, almost delighted by Neku's resistance. "I'm not authorized to tell ya," he reasoned, hands glowing once more. "Besides, telling you would ruin the fun."

"I think I'll pass on the fun," Neku decided in a deadpan. Message spelled out, his fingers quickly tapped the 'send' button. He hoped it would reach Mr. Hanekoma so that Lollipop would be informed of the traitor.

"Well, since you're resisting, guess I'm gonna have you bring you in forcefully," the Reaper decided, cracking his knuckles as darkness pooled from them. "Can't kill ya, though. That'd ruin everything. Consider yourself lucky."

"Oh yes, lucky," Neku echoed. He glanced around him and noted suspiciously that none of the passersby seemed to detect anything unusual. The boy decided that, in his current state, the only possible option was to run. Without warning, he dove into the crowds, hoping to be swept out of sight.

The Reaper quickly took off after him, summoning a few of the feral Noise that had been earlier shown to Joshua. He had not to the power to create them, but only to control them if such a time as this would come.

Neku became a blur of motion, bumping into the occasional protruding elbow. He could _feel_ the environment rippling where the Noise passed through, the very air twisted out of shape by their very presence. Suddenly, a hand shot out of the crowd and seized him by his collar, jerking him out of his run.

Neku snapped astonished eyes towards his captor who would have looked to be an average salary-man if not for the tendrils of darkness that poured from his eyes and mouth. He flinched as he tried to pull away but was caught by another grasping hand belonging to another random person in the RG.

"What... what is going _on_?" he hollered through his struggling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 5**

"Let go of me!"

There were hands everywhere, and no matter where he turned, his view was blocked off by the unnatural crowd that surged about him. Neku furiously shoved at the arms that held him in place, flinching when he met the empty eyes and gaping mouths of the possessed gathering. His heart rate climbed as the feral Noise that he had tried so desperately to shake off had caught up with him.

"Going somewhere?"

A voice questioned over the shrieking Noise. A man, roughly eighteen, materialized out of nowhere, face covered in the same shadows he had been hiding in moments prior. His hand reached up to run cockily through his hair, inspecting Neku as he attempted to flee from the Noise and ruffians, shaking in utter fear.

"Running would spoil all the fun," the man cooed, hand stretching outward as two large tendrils of darkness shot up in front of where Neku stood, ultimately blocking his passage of escape.

Neku took a step backwards, not wanting to be caught anywhere near the shadows. He took in the appearance of the newcomer, assuming that the man was the so-called 'boss' that the rogue Reaper had mentioned. "I don't suppose you'll just let me go?" he asked sadly.

"Of course not. You're too valuable of a gambling piece," the man informed him nonchalantly and walked over, being far less coy than with the Composer earlier that night.

"A gambling piece?" Neku questioned. He didn't understand why these people paid him any attention. Wasn't he just some random boy from the RG? Glare at full throttle, he spat out, "I won't be toyed with."

"Ah...but wouldn't you like revenge on the one who inhumanely shot you twice?" the brunet questioned, eyebrows furrowing as darkness traced up and down his body.

Revenge...? Neku realized that he was looking right at the one who was trying to hunt down and off Joshua. He squashed the urge to run over there and deck the bastard across the face, knowing that it would not be wise. "I'm big enough as a person to let it slide, seeing as I'm not dead at the moment," he said dryly. "So thanks for the offer, but no."

The man shrugged. "Well then, if I can't simply bribe him to step down from his position, I'll just have to erase him. Easy enough."

Hatred welled up in Neku's mouth like spit. "I'm not going to let you do that," he said through gritted teeth. "Why the _hell_ do you want his job so badly anyway?"

"Wouldn't _you_ want control over an entire city, Neku Sakuraba? Wouldn't you want the power to bring back lives that _you_ feel are worthy. Wouldn't you want the power to be a living god?" the brunet questioned, voice dark.

"Not really," Neku retorted, his disgust with the power-hungry man growing with every word that came from his mouth. "It seems like a shitty job. The Composer has to live in the sewers, after all." The knuckles on his clenched fists turned chalk white and his nails began to draw blood.

"Ah...I get it now," the man chuckled enigmatically, eyes glimmering. "_Now_ I know why you're so valuable. Pity I'm going to have to kill you in the end."

"...what?" Neku asked, furrowing his eyebrows in incomprehension. "Whatever, you weirdo." Once whole mess is over with, he would definitely need to go looking for companionship of the non-psychotic kind.

The dark-clothed teen snickered and lifted his hand into the air, allowing sparks of energy to form around Neku. "Be a good boy and submit, all right?"

Neku stared down the psycho unflinchingly. "I hope you didn't expect me to answer 'yes'," he sneered.

"I actually was expecting a 'yes, master', but I suppose a choked one will have to do," the man sighed and curled his fingers tightly in his palm, watching in amusement as the electrical currents began circling Neku.

The boy eyed the deathtrap around him warily. He sucked in a deep breath and tensed his muscles. Getting zapped by those things would definitely hurt. "In your dreams," he said, right before he hurtled forward, diving through the barrier. He bit back a choked gasp as the scent of sizzling flesh filled his nostrils, but he did not slow despite the pain in his limbs, until the had crossed gap between him and his attacker and uppercutted the stunned man in the jaw.

"How the hell did you?!..." the man hollered, clutching his jaw weakly as more barriers began building up around them, his hair standing on its end from the amount of energy.

"You just suck," Neku sneered while grasping his burned forearms in hopes of easing the pain. Perhaps it was the adrenalin but at that moment, Neku's entire body hummed with an force that felt like a faint echo of what he experienced when using his Psychs.

"...So that's why..." the man groaned to himself again, power continuing to encircle them. "Should have figured as much," he snickered.

Something had been bothering the redhead since the rogue Reaper had attacked him. How was he able to see the Noise in the RG where his Frequency should have been far too low? He inwardly groaned. It seemed that being dead for three weeks had messed with his ability to have a normal life. Neku's eyes slowly widened as a ridiculous thought hit him. If he was able to detect Noise, maybe he might also be able to...? Reaching into a pocket, he fished out one of the pins that he had continued to carry around as a reminder not to let down his guard and get killed again.

"Back off," he warned, clutching the pin in a death grip. He seriously hoped he wouldn't have to eat his words.

The man laughed emptily, withdrawing the darkness and power from around the pair. "I get it now," he sneered, stepping back some as his form began to dissipate slowly. "I don't need you after all."

Neku was left staring unfocusedly at the spot where his attacker had just vacated, still unbalanced at how quickly and unexpectedly the man came and left. "Somehow," he said to the air, "I feel like I've been gypped out of something." Goddamn cryptic assholes. They try to act cool but it's really just irritating. He looked down at the pin in his hand, turning it over. Without the boy realizing, his appearance had stopped flickering.

Banishing the detour temporarily from his mind, he resumed his search for the Composer.

.

The hallway of the sewer that led to the Dead God's Pad was eerily quiet. Almost forebodingly. Neither a single Noise nor cricket made a noise. The slow rushing of water for far away was barely audible over the silence. All seemed...ominous, until--

"Move faster! You have long legs, use them!" a less than cheerful voice boomed.

A pink-haired Reaper came into view, dragging what seemed to be a rather helpless Sanae Hanekoma. The female had her gloved hand curled tightly around the cafe owner's collar, tugging him through the sewer towards where the Conductor awaited. "I said faster!" she quipped again before dropping his collar at once and spinning around, arms folding to her chest.

"Geez..." Sanae grumbled and rubbed his neck, his collar having dug into it slightly. "Coulda just let me walk on--"

"You were going too slow," she stated and turned back around to the door, sizing it up. "I can't stay long and leave the Reapers guarded with a novice, so I figured if I _realllly_ wanted answers, bringing you with me was my best option."

"...Lovely," Mr. Hanekoma chuckled uneasily and ran a hand uneasily through his hair. "Well, aren't ya gonna--"

Before he could finish, Uzuki shoved the doors opening, looking angrier than a wildcat. "What the hell were you thinking, Kariya?!" she hollered upon entry, mouth curled up into a snarl.

The temporary Conductor who had fallen into a light doze at his desk shot up in fright, his beloved bean paste slipping from his mouth and hitting the faux wood with a plop. "Oh, hey Uzuki, Mr. H," he greeted casually, upon seeing who his sudden guests were. He gave his fallen candy a mournful look.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier you got promoted?! And didn't 777 tell you the message I gave him?" Her anger faltered into irritation for a moment. "I knew I couldn't trust that indie-runt as far as I could throw him." Her gaze fixed back on Kariya, stepping slowly over to the desk. "Do you have any idea how infuriating guarding a bunch of idiotic Reapers is?!"

Sanae chuckled from the entrance of the room, rubbing his neck uneasily. His gaze drifted to Kariya, giving him a sympathetic look.

"Well..." Kariya scratched the back of his neck idly before holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Now now. Don't get all bent out of shape, girl. This is just a short-term thing, so I didn't think it was worth mentionin'. An' before you take your anger out on poor 777, I did get the message but," he sighed, "I can't be randomly leavin' the River, 'specially with everything that's goin' on right now."

Uzuki's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why did he make _you_ the Conductor anyhow?" she scoffed, hand coming up to drift through her short hair in annoyance. "I've been wanting a promotion since I've started this job. You'd think that he'd give it to someone wanting it."

The orange-haired Reaper could only shrug as the answer eluded him as well. "I can't say I know what the Composer's thinking. Maybe he drew my name out of a hat?" He then looked over the Producer who hadn't spoken a word yet. "Mr. H? Is something wrong?"

Sanae shrugged, hands deeply nestled in his pockets. "Phones sent me a text earlier. Seems that there's been a traitor," he murmured, rubbing his chin. "Some lesser Wall-Reaper, but still, the thought's quite unnerving..."

Kariya reached into his parka for another piece of candy. "A Wall-Reaper in the RG?" he mused. That could pretty much be anyone. They had their communications cut off from every off-duty Reaper when their enemy had erected a barrier that disrupted Frequencies. Not to mention that they all looked the same. "I'll tell the rest of the staff to keep on a lookout."

Sanae nodded and leaned against the wall. "Whoever we're dealing with is tough, Kariya. He managed to inflict several wounds on the Composer," he stated grimly. "The lack of a permanent Conductor is weakening both worlds."

"Then he should just pick me and I'll solve this--" Uzuki began triumphantly.

"Doesn't work that way, Pinky. Shibuya and the Composer have to pick. Shibuya flourishes if the pick is the same," he explained and shrugged his shoulders.

Kariya let out a long, suffering sigh, adjusting his tinted glasses. "I'm so not cut out for the Brass." He hoped that Mr. Hanekoma would have the good sense not to mention just who had been Shibuya's pick. Then he frowned. "So, Phones sent you the message?"

"Yep. Kid still keeps in contact even though it's been so long," Mr. H responded and smiled rather distantly. "Did a helluva lotta good for the UG."

Uzuki sighed. "The brat kept me from my promotion, I know it..." she grumbled to herself.

Kariya felt a bit of apprehension at his partner's sentiment. Just how would she react if she found out who might become her future boss? He decided to direct the flow of the conversation elsewhere. "...so... does that mean that Phones met with the traitor? I hope he didn't get into any trouble."

"I don't know yet. Hopefully not," Sanae said with a distant shrug and seemed to zone out.

"So, what are we doing to do now, Conductor _sir_?" Uzuki asked, her sharp stare returning to Kariya. "And for heaven's sake! Get that thing out of your mouth! I know you have an oral fixation but _please_," she scolded and reached out to snag the pop.

"Hey!" Kariya shrank back placing his hands defensively between them. "I do not have an oral fixation," he argued, lollipop still safely in his mouth.

"Sure you don't," Uzuki chided and looked around the room lamely. "Well, there's nothing else I can do now. Just don't screw up, okay? I'm really not in the mood to be out of a job." She reached into her pocket to remove her phone, flipping it open. "I've been gone thirty minutes. I'm out."

With those words, Uzuki disappeared, still being able to travel through the UG. It didn't require much energy, thankfully.

"Hmm. That went much better than I hoped. She's growin' up, it seems," mused Kariya. Then he turned to regard his remaining guest. "What was it that you couldn't say in front of her?"

Sanae chuckled at how perceptive Kariya had grown. "I think our mysteryman knows that Phones is Shibuya's pick. I can't be certain...but why else would rogue Reapers go after him of all people? He knows somethin'."

Kariya scratched at his brow. "It kind of sucks for the poor kid. Now everyone and their mothers know it, but he still doesn't. The Composer isn't really plannin' on keeping mum forever, is he? We... don't have that much time left, after all."

"I talked to him about it earlier. I think I may have got through his thick skull," Mr. Hanekoma sighed and shrugged. "Only time will tell. Until then, keep doin' what you've been, Kariya."

"Sure thing, sir. Though I really hope that soon it'll be Phones here instead of me." After the Producer left, Kariya pulled the candy out from his mouth and scrutinized it before scoffing. He didn't have an oral fixation.

.

Wincing each time he jarred his burns, Neku walked desolately back to the Wildkat after a few hours of aimless wandering. He felt bad about pulling a disappearing act on his father but he was in no mood to go back and make up another ridiculous cover story explaining just why his (perceived) boyfriend had suddenly left.

"Mr. H?" he called cautiously as he pushed the glass door slightly ajar. He felt slightly ashamed about returning so soon after he had impulsively stormed off against the older man's warnings. After he shut the door behind him, he noticed that the café owner was no where in sight. He called out again and just stood in front of the counter, fidgeting for a good five minutes. Frowning, he wondered if the man was out. "Mr. H? Mr. Hanekoma!" The lack of answer bothered the boy as he was unpleasantly reminded of the time when Pi-Face had destroyed the place. Concerned, he wandered from the shop front, feeling like a burglar with each step, and headed towards the backroom. What he saw there made him stop dead.

Joshua was still passed out on the couch in the back-room with Mr. Hanekoma no where in sight. The slumbering Composer's face was visibly scratched. His arms, which were once before pale and clean, were now covered in small cuts and bandages, adding to the one that Neku had applied a few days before.

Neku stood still in the doorway for a full minute before he even blinked. He reached up and rubbed his eyes roughly. Ok. What? Once the dull realization hit him, he became tempted to hit something (someone) else. Had Joshua been here the whole time? He rather hoped not. Neku took in the numerous new injuries that the silver-haired boy sported and sighed in frustration. "Damn it, Joshua," he vented, though he tried not to wake the other up. "Why the hell did you leave again?"

Joshua's eyes fluttered open, dully looking at the opposing wall, not noticing Neku. "Hrm?..."

Neku rubbed his temples. And of course he would wake up anyway. "Morning, sunshine," he greeted sarcastically, echoing Joshua's greeting to him while they were still in the Game.

Joshua stared at Neku. "Oh...Neku, didn--" he began but fell silent when he noticed the condition his ex-proxy was in. A frown appeared on the Composer's lips as he sat up, noticeably tense. "...Who the hell did that to you?" His voice changed drastically from drowsy to rather venomous.

"A weirdo with a God-complex," Neku answered flatly. "Now, who did that to _you_?"

Joshua seemed to ignore Neku's question. "Did he say a name?"

"Yes, and then we talked about the fate of Shibuya over coffee. No he didn't, you idiot!" Neku paused to consider Joshua's question. "So I'm right. He's the one who got you."

Joshua sighed, eyes still brimming with unsettled anger. "Come over here," he instructed.

Seeing no harm in it, Neku obeyed. The two of them haven't been apart for even a day and already they both looked like they were put through a meat grinder.

Joshua wordlessly placed his hand over one of Neku's more noticeable marks. His eyes shut before soft, white light began glowing from his fingertips, healing the wound partially.

Neku's eyes widened at the strange sensation and sighed, the worst of the pain already abating. But he pulled away seconds later, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "I'm fine. You should save your energy for yourself."

"Shut up, Neku," Joshua murmured stubbornly, eyes still shut as he reached out again and curled his fingers around the boy's arm, letting the power from his fingers leak onto Neku's body.

The ex-Proxy rolled his eyes at the other's obstinacy but appreciated the effort. He knelt down next to the couch. "Don't strain yourself," he reminded reproachfully. After the worst of the injury had faded away, he spoke again. "What happened to you, Joshua?"

Joshua sighed, arms coming to fold against his chest. "Oh, nothing too bad. Just a little scuffle with a crazed Player, that's all."

"Obviously, you were on the wrong side of that scuffle. You were passed out on the couch," Neku reminded wearily.

Joshua absently licked his dry lips. "So I was...I came back here after I was attacked to recover."

"...how long have you been here?" Neku needed to know.

"Not too long," Joshua stated, glancing down at the time on his cell-phone.

"I came by earlier after I woke up," Neku admitted. "I asked Mr. H where you were, but he said you had already left by then."

"More than likely, yes. The scuffle took me awhile," Joshua yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"Well, in any case, I'm glad you didn't get yourself killed," Neku sighed again, poking at a healing scab. "Though you would have saved me a lot of trouble if you just told me where you were going. Why did you leave?"

Joshua inhaled deeply, eyes shutting again. "I don't want you involved in UG affairs again, Neku. I am thankful that you gave me a place to hide, but I've come to realize I need to approach this threat head on. This is _my_ city, Neku. I need to take care of it and expel whoever is doing this before he destroys everything... I don't want you involved."

Neku's cheeks grew hot in outrage at the infuriating words. How could this asshole be so selfish? Neku held his breath and counted to five to prevent himself from exploding. "Well, you don't have much of a choice right now," he said, trying to keep his tone even, "I'm already involved. Especially since your little usurper tried to kidnap me."

Joshua inhaled deeply. "...I'm losing my power, Neku. Shibuya doesn't have its rightful Conductor and its ultimately making me weaker."

"Mr. H told me." Neku closed his eyes and briefly clapped a hand over them. "I don't get it Josh! Why the hell haven't you given them the job already?! Are you going to risk your life and your city just because you can't swallow your pride or something?!" he raged.

Joshua laughed emptily. "I'm not asking them because I know they'll decline and be utterly disgusted by the prospect."

Neku raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "...I thought most guys would kill for that much power."

"Just forget it, Neku. I'll find another way to fix this mess. I _am_ the Composer," the silveret mused, bangs falling messily in his face as he shook his head.

Crossing his arms, the ex-Player refused to let the issue slide again. "Why don't you just fix it the obvious way?"

"By telling the chosen of his destiny?" Joshua questioned lamely, brow arched.

"Despite how pathetic you're making it sound, yes!"

"Fine," Joshua sighed fretfully and turned serious within a second. "Neku Sakuraba, Shibuya wants you as its Conductor."

"Oh," Neku said, genuinely in shock.

Joshua sighed and arose from the couch, still looking considerably injured. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find a way to contact Kariya."

"You dumbass," Neku's choked voice rang out to stop the Composer in his tracks. "You absolute _idiot._"

Joshua stiffened. "Calling the Composer of Shibuya names, Neku?" he asked, though the sarcasm in his voice was completely gone.

"You... You're risking the destruction of Shibuya and you let yourself get maimed over and over just because you thought I'd say _no_?" the boy raged. "You absolute idiot! I'll _be your fucking Conductor_!"

Joshua tensed, the answer not having been what he expected. "You'd be bond to me, far closer than a Player Pact. You'd have to stay in the UG for considerable amounts of time..."

If he had been approached by Joshua a few months earlier, he would have rejected him without a thought. The Reaper's Game had definitely left scars on his psyche but with a bit of time to let it sink in, he could see the Game's purpose a bit better, as he had admitted to Joshua. The Game was... incredibly hard and terrifying, but it gave him and his friends a second chance and made them better people. He stared into the Composer's amethyst eyes with unwavering intensity, certain of his decision.

"It's better than having you erased."

Joshua inhaled deeply, visibly shaken from the words. The Composer averted his gaze, chewing his lip uneasily. "Then let me release your powers and bestow the position upon you."

Neku swallowed slightly, a little unnerved at how quickly things were happening. "...release my powers?"

"Mhm," Joshua answered and frowned. "Usually I'd raise your frequency but...considering our little friend is messing with the ability to do such, I'm going to have to do it another way."

"I... Fine. Just... be quick about it," Neku forced himself to say before he could regret the decision. Hopefully, it wouldn't... hurt too much. Then he paused, having thought of something else. "Wait... I... I can still see my friends after this, right? And my dad?"

Joshua paused, his hand lingering over Neku's wrist. "As Conductor, lead Reaper, you can travel freely between the UG and RG. You can't leave the UG for longer than two days, or else you'll lose all connections with it as Conductor." His hand gingerly clasped around Neku's wrist, tugging the red-head closer. "Are you positively sure about this, Neku?"

The conditions for being the Conductor... It was a great sacrifice, but one that Neku had to be ready to make. "I can't ever leave Shibuya, can I?" he asked, wanting verbal confirmation.

Joshua inhaled deeply. "Never," he agreed softly. "I understand if you decline. I can find a suitable replacement that will hopefully work."

Neku let out a shaky laugh, running a hand through his bangs as a nervous gesture. "This isn't exactly how I imagined spending the rest of my life doing." He closed his eyes, trying to relish his last moments before he was bound. "I guess I'll have to get used to seeing your mug everyday."

Joshua offered a faint smile, his fingers that had been around Neku's wrist slipping down to curl with the boy's fingers, interlacing. Nonchalantly, the Composer leaned forward and brushed their lips together, not a full-blown kiss, but a simple brushing of lips, letting power leak from his and into the teen. "My Conductor," he almost purred against his lips, his own eyes shut as he focused on Shibuya's Music.

Neku who still had his eyes closed, squeezed them even tighter at the contact. Joshua's power flooded his body, felt like boiling liquid was pouring into his very Soul, overwhelming him until his vision turned white. His core exploded outward with a violent burst and he fell to his knees, clutching at his chest, gasping. His throat burned and Neku wondered if he was screaming, but he was unable to tell. He was completely deaf, hearing every sound all at once. Waves and waves of pure energy radiated off his body, rattling the walls and windows and pushing the furniture back. The tremors continued and dimly, Neku realized that he was lying on his face.

Joshua frowned, inspecting the boy with a sigh. "It would have been so much easier the other way," he mused to himself and crouched down carefully next to Neku, fingers threading through the other's hair. "Neku, are you all right?" he asked, faintly aware of their indisputable connection.

It took some time for him to get used to breathing again. Once Neku found his breath, the first thing he voiced was, "You. You kissed me."

Joshua giggled, utterly amused at that. "Yes, yes I did."

"If I ask you why," Neku mumbled from Mr. H's tiles, "you're going to say that it was to release my power. But, of course, it wasn't the only way to do it, just the most fun. Am I getting it right so far?"

"Hm...partially. Like I said, the original and safest way is to manually mess with your Frequency, but once again, I'm handicapped. And another way would be a bit more painful, so"

"Of course," Neku said. And promptly passed out.

.

"Did you inform Kariya yet, Sanae?"

Joshua raked his hand quietly through soft locks of orangey red as his gaze wandered over to his Producer who was passing awkwardly through the backroom of Wildkat. The man seemed to be almost in hysterics. The Composer frowned, knowing full well he had caused most of the stress that the café owner was now plagued with.

"No, no I haven't," Mr. Hanekoma grumbled. "I'm going to call him once Phones wakes up and he's all right…"

"Are you mad at me, Sanae?" Joshua hummed, averting his gaze back down to Neku. His pale fingers continued drifting in and out of his hair, having earlier carried the passed out boy to the couch and rested him there as he recovered.

"No, just surprised that you managed to convince him, that's all," Sanae mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, you have caused him alotta hell these past few days…"

"I was surprised too," Joshua mused.

The boy in question took this time to stir, wincing when he brushed some of his injuries against the rough fabric. "Ow," he complained to the ceiling. It was the second time he had fainted in two days and Neku was starting to get fed up.

"Don't move too much, you haven't fully recovered yet," Joshua stated softly, hand sliding from Neku's hair down his neck. "Relax."

Neku winced, weakly lifting a hand to his ear. "...everything's so... loud. Is that normal?"

"Your frequency is higher," Joshua explained at once. "And you're more in tune to Shibuya's Music. You'll get used to it and it'll sound normal after awhile."

With a groan, the redhead's hand fell back to his side. "This Conductor thing sort of sucks. How did Shades ever hold up?"

Joshua smirked. "He was loyal to the city--he put up with a lot to keep Shibuya safe."

"Well, I certainly can't see why anyone would want this job," Neku mused dryly, eyes drifting closed. He couldn't see that well through them yet, anyway. "Power my ass."

"Ah...people don't want your job, Neku. They want mine," Joshua clarified and relaxed back against the couch.

"Your job probably sucks more," was the semi-sleepy retort. Neku lips turned up into a small frown. "Josh... Is there someone else here? My eyes are kind of fuzzy."

"...Mr. Hanekoma is here," Joshua stated and looked to his Producer with a frown.

"Oh... hey, Mr. H. Sorry I didn't notice you," Neku greeted, blinking his eyes open but only seeing vague shapes.

"It's fine, Phones. Wasn't expectin' ya to be cheery after becoming Conductor," the cafe owner chuckled and watched Neku with rather soft eyes.

"Stop talking to him, Sanae, he needs rest," Joshua grumbled.

"...Geez, boss. Possessive, huh?"

"Mr. H," Neku began, ignoring the two's minor bickering, "what's going on right now?"

"Uh...right now, I'm about to call Kariya and tell him he's back as an Officer, and then Josh and I are gonna wait until you're better before attempting to build Shibuya's power back up," Sanae explained carefully, taking out his phone.

"You need to be well before we can fix anything," Joshua informed Neku with a soft giggle.

No pressure, really. "I think that'll take a while," Neku confessed. His brow wrinkled once again when his ears suddenly caught a discordant strand of Music. "Joshua? It feels like there's something wrong with your... Music."

Joshua tilted his head. "I doubt it's the curse, considering even curses can't touch my Music..." He seemed a bit puzzled. "Explain it."

"It... it's like... sort of like when a band is playing but someone is hitting the wrong notes." Neku paused, trying to catch the chord again but realized with a jolt that the errant strand was growing louder and more prominent.

Joshua frowned. "...Can you tell why?" His glanced at his Producer, who seemingly looked away right when he looked his way.

Neku shook his head. "I can't... it's too hard to make out. Give me your hand; maybe I'll hear it better this way."

Joshua sighed and extended his hand regardless, clasping it around Neku's gently as he watched his Conductor, shooing Sanae out of the room with his free one.

As Neku held the bandaged limb, he felt the dissonance get stronger. "Josh? Did... did Psychopath do something to your hand?"

Joshua winced, averting his gaze. "...Neku..."

That was never a good sign, Neku realized. "Joshua, answer the question."

"He called it his parting gift for now. How the hell would I know what he did?" Joshua murmured, fingers twitching in Neku's hold.

"Take off the bandages," Neku urged, growing more and more alarmed.

Joshua inhaled deeply, grumbled some, and went about removing a few bandages on the arm that was connected to Neku's. "Happy?"

Neku's fingers brushed against Joshua's now exposed palm and stiffened, feeling the source of the disturbance. The Music cried out, supplying him with a name. "A Timer. He put a _Timer_ on you," he stated.

That wasn't anything new to Joshua. "Damn...since when did you become so perceptive of me?" he joked weakly, eyes distant.

Neku made a strangled sort of groan. "I can't believe you weren't going to tell me! What does it say?!"

"He wants me to give up my position in two days," Joshua explained, eyes shutting firmly.

"Well you can hardly _do that_!" Neku exclaimed. "Damnit, Josh! Stop leaving out the important stuff!"

"Well, I thought the minor details didn't matter to you, Neku," Joshua shot back, suddenly angry and his eyes narrowed.

Neku shrunk back a bit, ashamedly recalling that bit of their conversation. "...your life isn't a minor detail, Josh."

Joshua kept his gaze glued to a random piece of furniture, refusing to meet his Conductor's. "The aspects of my life are," he corrected. "Just forget it, Neku."

"No way, you're not going to just brush me off again. I... I'm your Conductor now!" Neku pointed out, tired of the Composer always hiding things from him. "You're... Mr. H said to 'trust your partner', remember? So trust me."

Joshua said nothing for the longest time, simply watching the reddish brunet with a distant look. His hand carefully took Neku's wrist again, simply holding it as he seemed to struggle with his thoughts and duty.

"Joshua...?" Neku ventured hesitantly, placing his other hand over the Composer's.

"I didn't want you to hate me, but it seems that I always end up getting you into a mess you don't deserve," the Composer stated quietly.

"... I don't hate you," Neku said in a gentle whisper, closing his eyes once again. "I couldn't. Not even when I found out you killed me. Well, the second time I found out, anyway. And this mess? I think I would have gotten involved sooner or later, so it's not your fault."

"Why are you so kind to me, Neku? I've done nothing to deserve it," Joshua sighed, fingers tightening around the Conductor's wrist.

"Whether you deserve it or not, I always considered you a friend," Neku answered simply. "You were the first person I could relate to... after _that_ happened."

"How foolish of me," Joshua stated under his breath, his free hand somewhat covering his face.

A small grin appeared on the resting boy's face. "Yeah, you were pretty stupid."

Joshua fell silent once again and shifted on the couch, a slim arm coming to curl around his Conductor. "Sleep for a few hours. You'll feel nearly a hundred percent better," he murmured, face hidden from view as he lay beside him.

"Why does this feel familiar?" Neku complained, but obeyed. His breathing soon evened out and he drifted off for some well-deserved and much-needed rest.

Joshua didn't respond and instead closed his eyes, letting himself fall into a light slumber. His arm remained protectively around his Conductor as he slipped from reality, face coming to bury itself in Neku's chest during his sleep.

.

"C-Conductor, sir! BAD NEWS!" A frantic Reaper burst into the room, looking absolutely terrified. Kariya, who had been in an urgent phone call with Shibuya's Producer, uttered a quick apology before setting his cell down.

"What is it?" Kariya demanded, becoming increasingly worried. The Reaper spluttered something incoherent out, as if trying to give several explanations at once. Becoming a bit impatient at the babbling, Kariya climbed out of his desk and nonchalantly punched the novice across his face. "Calm down and try explaining slowly," he instructed.

The Reaper took an exaggerated breath, stood at attention, and bellowed. "Conductor sir! The enemy has somehow located the Shibuya River, sir! Sir, they're attacking the barrier! I'm very scared, sir!"

Kariya let out a long suffering sigh. He quickly waved the idiot Reaper away before picking his phone back up. "You hear that, Mr. H?"

Mr. Hanekoma frowned from his line. "Kariya, I'm going to talk to the Composer about everything--explain it all to him. I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry 'bout?" Kariya questioned, a bit concerned.

"...I'll tell ya later. I need to talk to him and his new Conductor. Just...keep the River safe, k?"

Kariya winced. Whoever was on the other side of the barrier was far too strong—he could already feel the waves of raw power crashing into the UG's last major defense. "There's no helping it. For once, I'll do my best."

"Thank you, Kariya," Sanae breathed into the phone before it went dead.

The Reaper rubbed at his eyes behind his glasses. "What a mess. Well, at least I've finally been demoted."


	6. Chapter 6

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 6**

He had one day left. One day to erase the threat, reclaim _his_ UG, and restore power and order throughout both planes. The constant reminder of his dwindling time remained beating hotly on his palm, invisible to the naked eye, but obvious to the Composer's.

"All right, your break is over," Joshua stated after a moment, getting back up from the couch, arms folding to his chest. "We need to train more to prepare for whatever is coming our way."

Neku struggled into a sitting position and held a hand to his head. His vision had gotten better after the impromptu nap but was still a bit blurry at the edges. The temporary reprieve that sleep had given him felt all too short and he was still far from being fully rejuvenated. "What exactly can we do in less than two days?" he asked, trying to sound less tired than he felt.

"...Neku, are you seriously asking me that?" Joshua deadpanned and rolled his eyes. His hand lifted up and dragged through his hair before once more falling away. "If you can't handle this, say so now and I'll go find some random civilian to take your place."

"Forgive me if I have no fucking clue about what I'm doing," Neku shot back. "You didn't exactly give me a manual with the job." After the biting words left his mouth, he felt a bit of remorse for taking out his frustration on Joshua, but the other boy was too good at ruffling his feathers.

Joshua averted his gaze, saying nothing for a moment. "You _do_ know what you're doing, Neku. No one's been able to listen to my Music before. Not even Megumi."

Neku furrowed his eyebrows. "But... I sort of just... heard it. I didn't _consciously_ know what I was doing."

Joshua rolled his eyes and refused to make eye-contact, still. "Just forget I said anything. Let's just get back to work. Try to fix this," he mumbled and idly tossed a broken, random melody towards Neku.

The Music wafted through the air towards the Conducter, like spider-silk caught by a breeze. Neku reached out a hand and touched it but winced as a harsh grating filled his head. Desperate as he was to get rid of the awful sound, instinct made him reach out and grasp the strand, and he imagined strangling it. To his horror, Neku felt it pulse once as if alive, before it was smothered and dissipated, leaving only silence. "Uh... Joshua? I think I did something wrong."

"I said fix it, not destroy it," Joshua growled and brought a hand up to his temple. Wearily, he rubbed his forehead before sparing a glance at his Conductor. "_Fix_ the melody, don't beat it over the head like Noise." He tossed the red-head another.

This time, Neku concentrated hard on keeping his mental hold on the Music gentle. The melody squirmed and quivered; its notes completely out of synch. The newly minted Conductor squeezed his eyes closed and envisioned the sounds as individual notes on staff lines. As the broken Music flowed through him, he was able to pick out the offending notes and he reached into it and plucked them out. But now the melody was left with gaping holes. His hold on the Music weakening, Neku gave the Composer a helpless look.

"...Must I do everything myself, Neku?" Joshua sighed and walked over to his Conductor, placing a hand gently on the other's shoulder. His pale fingers curled as he closed his eyes, mind drifting to the melody between them. Carefully, he tossed in a few chords and eighth notes in the holes before letting it trickle away into the depths of Shibuya, hopefully doing some good _somewhere_. However, Joshua remained close, hand still on Neku's forehead, this time focusing on the boy's own Music. He mentally reached out to touch the melody, marveling at its purity, unable to resist stroking and indulging in it.

Neku let out an involuntary gasp as a shiver of crept up his spine. Blinking away stars and feeling inexplicably (but almost pleasantly) lightheaded, the boy's tensed muscles unclenched and his stiff back eased into a comfortable slouch. "Why don't you just tell me how to do it, for once? ...and what did _you_ just do?"

"You have to figure out how to do it yourself, _Conductor_," Joshua mused under his breath, focusing more so on Neku's music than his voice. He said nothing as he let strands of his own Music mingle with Neku's, letting the two melodies twine together, if only briefly.

The redhead felt the powerful music that was uniquely _Joshua's_ wash over him and overtake his senses. The momentary connection took away his breath and left him feeling strangely alone after it receded. "We... We should get back to the training," he stated shakily.

Joshua nodded and gave one last tug to Neku's Music before removing his own entirely. He stepped back, violet eyes now open. "You have to imagine a correct chord or note to fill in the gaps. Imagine real-music."

"But... I don't know how to write music," Neku admitted with a sigh, the giddiness fading somewhat. "I only listened to it; I didn't take piano lessons as a kid or anything. How am I supposed to know what's the right one to use?"

"It'll sound right to you," Joshua reasoned. He shrugged indifferently and then paused. "Or are you just giving up already, Neku?"

If there was anyone who hated to back down, it was Neku. "I never said I was giving up," he said indignantly. "Let me try again."

"Mmm... convince me to give you another chance," Joshua teased.

Neku impatiently swatted at the other's head. "I don't understand how you can even joke at a time like this," he complained.

Joshua grinned and tapped Neku's nose. "Listen to my Music for a few moments--get used to the way the notes are strung together."

The boy grumbled, but complied. Joshua had an extremely complicated melody, enigmatic with layers upon layers of notes and completely unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was dizzying and at times gave him a bit of a headache but there was a sweet and soothing tune, almost hidden within its depths. "I... I think I sort of get it," Neku spoke up, after several minutes of just listening. After the little exercise, he felt as if he could understand the Composer's intentions a little better.

Joshua nodded. "One more thing before you try again," the Composer advised as he closed his eyes and reached out to Neku's Music again. His mind plucked at a few chords sounding at random intervals. "These right here," he murmured aloud, "are the most effective and easy to use..."

"Er, thanks," Neku said, a little unused at Joshua's helpfulness. He took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm ready to try again."

Joshua pulled back yet again, hand finally slipping off Neku's shoulder. He tossed him another melody, eyes carefully watching him.

Once more, Neku reached out, cradling the warped strand of Music. Concentrating as hard as he could, he removed the flawed sounds and coaxed the remainder of the notes until they settled, the tortured sounds fading into a simple, tinkling melody that reminded the boy of rain. Energy spent, Neku just held the Music and marveled at the transformation. He lifted his head and met Joshua's gaze with wide eyes.

"Good job, Neku" Joshua lilted. "Perhaps I should give my Conductor a prize for being such a talented boy?"

"No thank you," Neku declined politely as he let the strand escape back into the depths of the UG. "I don't think I'll like your prizes."

Joshua feigned a pout. "You're no fun," he decided and let his gaze wander away from Neku's. "Neku, once this fiasco ends, you _are_ still going to be my Conductor, right?"

Genuinely perplexed, Neku asked, "What else would I be? I was under the impression that this was for keeps."

"Good," Joshua breathed out, visibly more relieved than he wanted to be.

Neku raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think I was just going to... I dunno, walk out on you after we clean up this mess?"

"Of course. You'd want your normal life back and to be free of the UG once again," Joshua pointed out with an indifferent shrug.

In truth, Neku wasn't sure if that was what he really wanted anymore. "I... I don't... That doesn't matter; I chose this." He attempted a casual shrug that was more of an awkward jerk of his shoulders. "Besides, it's not like you'd let me hand in any resignation papers."

"If you don't want to be around me, I won't hold you in the UG against your will," Joshua stated apathetically and pinched his fingers together, messy bangs concealing his pale eyes.

Realization slowly dawned on the redhead. The Composer was... actually afraid that he would leave him. Sighing, Neku pushed himself off the couch, unsure of how to console the other boy. "Hey, I'm supposed to be the emo one, remember?" he joked feebly, and gave Joshua a light punch on the arm. "I said I chose this."

"Neku... there's something I think I--"

Joshua was cut short when the door opened. The Composer's gaze drifted over to the form that now stood in it. Hanekoma wore a deep frown, looking far more weary and troubled than ever before. Joshua cocked a brow, temporarily forgetting what he was going to tell Neku, and instead concentrating on his Producer.

"Is something wrong, Sanae?" Joshua questioned, tearing his gaze from Neku.

"I think you and Phones need to hear somethin'," the cafe owner decided as he walked across the small room and took a seat on the couch that the pair had earlier been on.

Though he was a little off balance from the sudden interruption, Neku went right to business. Turning away from Joshua, he fixed his idol with a look of concern. "What is it, Mr. H? Did something happen?"

"Not recently, no Phones," Sanae murmured, rubbing his nape with a shrug.

"We don't have time to be ambiguous, Sanae. Now, tell us," the Composer demanded, refusing to look to his Conductor briefly.

"How should I start this?..."

"...The beginning?" Joshua suggested and sat close next to Neku, feeling the need to 'prepare' himself for whatever the Angel was going to announce.

Neku worried his lip in apprehension. Something told him that he wouldn't like whatever it was.

Joshua absently curled his fingers around Neku's slim wrist, without once passing his gaze. "Go on."

"...The kid you're dealin' with, crazy guy?" Joshua nodded. "Well...it's kind of my fault."

"...Pardon?" Joshua stated slowly, arching a brow. "Your fault?" he echoed skeptically.

"You see...a few months back, the kid came to me talkin' about these odd symbols floatin' about and monsters that disappeared at random. And these spells, he called them, that made the monsters vanish. He reminded me of you, Josh. Able to see into the UG while being alive. We talked some over those months. He learned about the UG and I learned about him. I thought he'd be perfect as a Conductor. He had that feel, you know? A mixture of both you and Phones." He shrugged and chuckled uneasily. "I taught him how to change his frequency so that he could enter the UG alive. Bad move on my part, I suppose...didn't know the kid was out for blood and power..."

Dead, stilted silence met the Producer's explanation.

Neku stared at the man in abject horror. "Why," he whispered brokenly, "why are you telling us this _now_, Mr. H?" He buried his face in his hands, unable to muster up the energy to scream or come to terms with what the Angel just revealed.

"Sanae..." Joshua seemed far more reserved and unperturbed by the information. "...I thank you for trying to help me, but you should have been aware that I wouldn't allow anyone the position apart from Neku."

Sanae sighed. "I was willing to try for Shibuya."

Joshua laughed emptily. "I seem to always bring destruction to Shibuya and the ones closest to it for my own selfish reasons..."

Neku powered up a glare and aimed it at the Composer. "Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. You didn't know this was going to happen."

Joshua growled under his breath and dropped Neku's wrist. He got to his feet and headed towards the door. "I'm going for a walk. No further than Cat Street. I'll be back in five minutes."

"...Boss," Sanae grumbled, watching Joshua leave the room and the cafe. His gaze drifted back to Neku with a frown. "Go after him if you want..."

Now would be a really bad time for one of Joshua's tantrums. Neku got up and walked briskly to the door. "Of course I will," he answered firmly, but then hesitated in the doorway. "Mr. H...? I... I don't blame you. It's not your fault either." And left.

Sanae nodded and leaned back against the couch, shaking his head. "Damn...and I thought I couldn't get any deeper in trouble than I already was for Minamimoto." With a shrug, he left the room and headed back to the bar itself to make himself a cup of coffee.

Outside, Joshua was quietly walking, arms hugged tightly to his chest.

Though the other boy had a bit of a head start, Neku soon caught up to him but made no move to talk. Keeping a few feet between them, the Conductor followed his Composer silently.

Joshua stopped at the corner, already knowing Neku was behind him. He said nothing, uncertain what to say for the first time ever.

Neku continued to watch the silver haired boy's back, providing a quiet but reassuring presence.

Joshua turned around, saying nothing. His gaze did not meet Neku's. Rather unexpectedly, the silveret moved closer and simply leaned against the other, resting his head against the side of Neku's.

The spiky-haired boy stiffened slightly at the initial contact, more out of surprise than anything. Slowly, he relaxed into the odd sort of embrace, even bringing up a hand to Joshua's shoulder.

Joshua breathed in deeply, eased into relaxation due to Neku's Music and Soul being so close. Before he realized what he was doing entirely, the silveret tilted his head and claimed Neku's lips in his own briefly, hands rest barely on his hips.

Neku blinked slowly as he registered the other's audacity. Gently, he pushed at Joshua's shoulders until they separated with a small _plop_. "Does that mean you're feeling better?" he asked dryly.

Joshua stared at Neku, saying nothing. "What do you think?" he quipped, gaze now meeting Neku's.

Neku let out a long suffering sigh. "You have way too much fun harassing me."

"You can't deny it was a nice kiss." Joshua's smug demeanor returned, for reasons unknown, as he walked behind Neku, headed back to Wildkat.

"I wouldn't know. Don't have anything to compare it with," Neku grumbled.

A small smirk crept up onto the Composer's lips. "I was your first kiss, Neku?"

"That was what I said, wasn't it?" Neku bit out, a tad irritated. Perhaps he should have protested a bit more. Now the ass was bound to try to make a habit of it.

Joshua giggled and leaned over and stole another kiss, lingering, before pulling back, proving Neku very correct. "Oh my Conductor, you're so amusing."

Neku twitched, clapping a hand over his mouth to dissuade further violating of his mouth. He glanced around to see if they had been spotted by anyone he knew and stopped. "Joshua... Why is the street completely empty?"

Joshua paused, glancing around curiously. "...More than likely his doing," he sighed and absently glanced down to his hand where an invisible timer lay. "Never thought I'd actually have one of these."

"A bit of a change from the usual, isn't it?" Neku quipped, rubbing his own palm and feeling the phantom ache from his days in the Game. Then he frowned. "Hey... There were still people out here when we left the Wildkat a few minutes ago."

"...That's really not good," Joshua stated quickly under his breath and grabbed Neku's hand this time, dragging the red-head back with him to the cafe.

As luck would have it, the two of them slammed painfully into an invisible barrier that cut the area in half with the Wildkat Café being on the opposite side.

"S-Shit," Neku growled, slamming a fist into the wall. "They blocked us off!"

"Damnit..." Joshua cursed and interlaced their fingers together before dragging Neku back the way they came, body aching from the collision. He refused to stop hurrying or to drop Neku's hand.

"Where are we going to go?" Neku yelled as they ran. Already, he could feel the beginnings of the twisted Music that the Rogues were fashioned from gather around them.

Joshua didn't answer and continued sprinting. He dragged Neku through Shibuya, headed towards the Scramble at a surprising speed. Once there, he headed straight across the busy shopping area, past Hachiko and down towards the Shibuya River.

Before he could get on the road that would lead them to the sewers, a dark-pelted wolf lunged at him, paws being nothing more than sharp edges. "Neku, get to the river!" the silveret demanded and pushed Neku out of the way of the wolf's next swipe, taking the blunt of the blow.

"Joshua!" Neku cried out. Stubbornly, he went straight back to the other's side, checking for injuries. Facing the warped Noise and pulling out a mastered Lightning Rook, he focused his energy into it, knowing for sure that it would work. "I said I wasn't going to leave you. We're going together!"

Joshua watched weakly as the noise vanished. He was about to reply with a growl to Neku's statement but was cut short when another wolf leaped towards them. Quickly, the Composer shot at the wolf with a carefully cast beam, almost grinning when it disappeared.

"We need to get there," Joshua stated harshly and tugged on Neku's hand, dragging him once more towards the River.

"Why are we going to the River?" Neku demanded as they shot through the Underpass, occasionally stopping to fight off Noise that got too close.

When they finally arrived at the river, the small stream that separated parts of the sewer, Joshua tightened his hold on Neku's hand. "If something happens, tell Kariya that you're in charge," he stated, looking to Neku with rather distant eyes before closing his eyes and using every ounce of energy in his body to dangerously change both his and Neku's frequencies, the change being his last resort.

"What do you mean, 'if anything happens'?" Neku demanded, yanking his hand away as soon as he felt the shifts in the Composer's Music, before the change could fully take place. "Tell me what you're trying to do, Joshua!"

Joshua paused all together, opening his eyes to stare at Neku. "I'm _going_ to manually change our frequencies. I don't know how badly it'll effect me, considering it's quite a bit of work with the UG weakened, but it's better than nothing," the silveret quipped.

Neku gave the other a rather reproachful look. "You... you were going to risk yourself again! Damnit, you have to _tell me_ before you do something like that. Last time you couldn't even manage your own Frequency; you're not going to try to change mine too!"

Joshua's eyes narrowed slightly before he turned his back to Neku, taking out his cell phone. He dialed in a number absently and lifted it to his ear. After a few words with his Producer regarding the current 'wall situation' and 'rogue noise' that only they seemed to be encountering and seeing, he hung up, looking a bit more flustered than before.

"What did he say?" Neku asked anxiously, restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Joshua sighed and shook his head. "Things just seem to keep getting worse..." He looked over his shoulder to his Conductor, eyes far more distant than usual. "Neku...if the time comes and things look bleak, I want you to erase me."

For a moment, Neku's heart forgot how to beat. "That's not funny, Joshua."

"I'm rather serious," Joshua responded. "Instead of seeing Shibuya destroyed and ultimately dying a shameful death, I'd rather die at the hands of someone I--...I respect," he murmured.

"That...that's just..." Neku shook his head in denial, his expression concealed beneath his bangs. "That's just... _so damn selfish of you_!" he yelled. "How... how can you ask that of me?" Something glinted in the dim light as it rolled off his cheek onto the pavement.

"I shot you twice, Neku. The least you could do is return the favor if the time comes," Joshua murmured, tone emotionless. He shifted awkwardly, having only vaguely noticed the condition the other was in.

"I couldn't do it then, what makes you think I can do it now, you bastard?!" Neku choked out. He had clenched his fists so hard that thin trails of blood ran down his fingers.

Joshua sucked in a shaky breath, seemingly unperturbed from the outside. Quietly, the Composer walked back over to his Conductor. He reached out wordlessly and took one of Neku's hands, saying nothing. He did not proceed to interlace their fingers nor stroke it--just held it in his own. "What was I thinking? I really don't deserve an honorable erasure after the things I've done to this city."

"That's not what I meant, you dumbass!" Neku snarled, and a second later he tackled the other to the ground and held him down, hoping to shake some sense into him. "You don't deserve to be _erased_. Don't fucking talk like you're going to die! If you die, there won't be a fucking city _left_. And I--" Neku broke out of his angry tirade to glare at a spot on the empty wall. "Just... don't talk like that, you idiot."

Joshua said nothing for a long moment. "It's wise to plan for the worst and hope for the best," he stated slowly, unable to meet Neku's gaze right away. "It's foolish to act as if we're both going to come out of this thing unscathed."

"In that case," Neku said calmly. "_Both_ of us will come out of this, or not at all."

"...Why are you willing to die for me, Neku?" Joshua questioned, unmoving.

"I..." Neku couldn't answer right away. He closed his eyes and thought back to his weeks in the Game. He thought of Rhyme who was erased by the shark Noise to save Beat. He thought of Beat, who had once dived in front of a car to save Rhyme, and later, in front of him to take the brunt of an attack by a possessed Shiki. And lastly, he thought of Joshua who had pushed him out of the way of Pi-Face's psych. "Because... some things... are just more precious than life."

"You have no idea," Joshua breathed, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for a moment as he laid against the cold ground, eyes shut. "I'm honored you still consider me a friend after all of this."

Growing a bit uncomfortable at the sappy direction their conversation was heading, Neku fidgeted. "Yeah. Well." He cleared his throat. "Let's... Let's talk about what we're going to do now. And don't ask me to kill you again."

Joshua nodded absently. "Sanae informed me, a bit belatedly, that our little friend managed to break through the first line of defenses at the River," he murmured, gesturing with his eyes around them. "There's another shield, at the end before the Conductor's room. I want to get us both there before anything else happens. Hopefully there I'll be able to change frequencies more easily...that is, if I can enter it in the RG."

The thought that Psycho had gotten so far in such a short time was unnerving. "Then we'd better get going," Neku decided. "Let's hope we don't run into anything on our way."

Joshua nodded but then paused. "...Neku, I can't really move with you on top of me like this. I won't deny the fact that I'm enjoying it but..." he hummed, a bit more life flooding back into his voice as he managed a small giggle.

Flushing a horrified red, Neku flung himself off of the other boy, landing painfully a meter away on his ass. He twitched, wondering why he had ever thought of the insufferable Composer charitably. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. But _why_ is it always at my expense?"

"Mm... maybe I just like you," Joshua pondered aloud with a smirk as he arose from the ground. The silveret gracefully walked over to Neku and extended a hand.

"I doubt it," Neku muttered. Grudgingly, the redhead grabbed the proffered hand and let himself be pulled up, but quickly let go afterwards, still feeling awkward. Jaw set, he stalked off ahead to their destination.

Joshua giggled a second time before following behind his partner moments later, hands nestled back into his pockets. "Neku, are you blushing?"

"NO!" Neku hollered without an ounce of hesitation. He was lying.

"Come now, Neku. It's normal for a boy of your age to start to develop ah...how should I put this?..." He didn't stop giggling.

"Don't finish that sentence!" Neku warned, turning even redder.

"Unexplainable desires," Joshua finished regardless.

Neku twitched. "Oh, I think I can explain this desire. It's called _wanting to punch your face in_."

Joshua shook his head. "And you blush when you want to inflict pain?"

"This," said Neku, gesturing at his face, "is red because I'm _angry_."

Joshua snickered to himself. "Somehow, I don't believe you."

"Gah," Neku replied in frustration. He really shouldn't have bothered.

"Hm... am I really that unattractive of a person, Neku?" Joshua questioned with a hum, walking alongside the red-head now as they continued down along the side of the sewer.

This made the Conductor growl and speed up... rather childishly. "No way. I'm not answering that."

"And why not?" Joshua huffed, arms crossing to his chest as he faithfully followed.

"Because... Because I don't want to!" came the agitated answer.

Joshua offered a smirk at the other. "Oh, but you'll let me kiss you and not throw a fit," he lilted.

He knew he should have protested. A lot more. "That's only because you'd get a kick out of making me scream at you."

"Mm...perhaps screaming my name in another context, yes" Joshua agreed with a firm nod, eyes sparkling with a mixture of mischief and playfulness.

"JOSHUA!" Neku bellowed, shaking a fist at the Composer in outrage.

"Hm. Next time try to moan a bit," Joshua suggested, shrugging his shoulders as he held back a grin.

"You... you're so impossible!" The poor boy positively howled.

"Neku, honestly, you need to learn to relax," Joshua urged.

"... I don't think now's a good time to be doing it," Neku complained.

Joshua was about to remark but was cut short when a chuckle interrupted his thoughts. The Composer froze, eyes narrowing at the demonic noise that drifted about like an unsung melody.

"So I was right..." the male stated as he stepped closer to the pair, his red-hood still pulled tightly over his head.

"Shit, not you again!" Neku reacted by pushing Joshua behind him, a pin at ready.

"Boss will really be impressed if I manage to take ya both out at once," the man sniggered from the shadows of his hood, black wings extending, clear as day in the RG.

"If you're going to insist on fighting _for_ me," Joshua stated abruptly, stepping close to Neku's back to whisper in his ear, "let me channel some of my power through you."

"You should save your energy, Josh," Neku replied in an undertone, sparks beginning to appear at his fingertips. "I think I can handle this guy. He's not that tough."

"I have plenty of energy," Joshua remarked stubbornly as he rested his hand on the back of Neku's arm. The pads of his fingers illuminated in the darkness, a faint white, transferring some of his power into his ex-proxy.

"You two really think you can beat me?" the Reaper chuckled and cocked his head, dark tendrils forming around him. "No wonder Shibuya's in rough shape--you two are morons."

One hand clutching at a Distortion pin, Neku lashed out with his other, sending electric charges at his enemy's limbs. "You're way too overconfident!"

The Reaper howled in surprise, clutching his now wounded arm. "Since when did...did you get so damn powerful?!"

Joshua giggled under his breath, possessively keeping his fingers wrapped around Neku's arm. "I think he's complimenting you, dear."

"Yay," Neku cheered in an unenthusiastic monotone. Wanting to press his advantage, Neku swapped his Discharge psych for Pyrokinesis, materializing a towering wall of blue flames and hurtled them at the Reaper.

The Reaper shifted to the side and was hit, regardless, with the scorching flames. "Shit..." he groaned and shot a few shards of ice towards the other.

"Neku..." Joshua warned and lifted his free hand, throwing up a shield to keep his Conductor from being hit.

The redhead nodded at his partner in thanks. He fished out yet another random pin from his pocket and grinned when he saw what it was. Now drawing on the Grizzly pin, he screamed out his frustration and in doing so, sent out a powerful shockwave that sent the Reaper back, along with the Rogues that he had summoned. Despite their dire situation, Neku realized that he had missed this; the adrenalin pumping through his veins and the thrill of fighting a life or death battle. "Still think we can't beat you?"

"...Is...that all you got?" the Reaper groaned, struggling to get up from his feet.

Joshua said nothing to Neku and lifted his hand, eyes suddenly dark and void of emotion. The Composer glowed momentarily, now beside his partner. Within seconds, the Reaper vanished into a dark cloud of erasure, leaving a few Rogue Noise creatures to scurry away in fear and pain.

"That's..." Neku blinked, surprised by the rather abrupt defeat. "...sort of nifty."

Joshua was silent for a second. "Don't ask me to do it again," he stated distantly before turning around and heading further into the sewer, glow disappearing.

"I'll keep that in mind," Neku sighed, trailing after him. It looked like it had taken quite a toll on the Composer. "Why didn't you let me finish that guy off instead?"

"Because taking lives eventually makes you a less than pleasant person," Joshua answered apathetically and shrugged his shoulders, staring deeply into the sewer.

Neku looked at his feet, unable to bring himself to look at the other's back any longer. "I... I killed so many of your Reapers. Ram Crotch, Iron Face and... A whole bunch of other guys during that last week."

"Don't dwell on it, Neku," Joshua murmured and shrugged again. "Let's just finish this."

"Yeah..." Neku agreed over his rising anxiety. He swallowed, steeling himself for the final boss battle. "Let's."

Joshua nodded and crossed the last few feet of the sewer. His gaze settled upon a grimy wall, violet eyes narrowing. Carefully, the Composer set his hand gently on it, letting his body glow faintly. A slight breeze ruffled through his hair and clothes as he closed his eyes, concentrating on the wall. After a moment, he cracked open an eye to look at his Conductor, body and skin still glowing.

Neku turned slightly pink for a moment. Radiating with ethereal light and with his gossamer-like hair framing his face in a halo, Joshua truly was a stunning sight. He quickly banished the absurd notion. "How is it? Can we get through?"

"I need you to focus your power on the door, too," Joshua instructed, eyes settling solely upon his Conductor. "It won't open if you don't as well."

"I can do that," Neku replied with confidence. Placing his palm on the wall, he unconsciously mirrored Joshua's pose as his eyes flew shut in concentration.

Joshua closed his eyes again. He seemed deep in thought for a moment until his body pulsed brightly with a faint yellow burst, something not brought on by just power. The outlining of a door appeared moments later as the Composer's body returned to its normal appearance.

"You ready, Neku?"

A wry smile tugged at the redhead's lips. "What do you think?"

Joshua nodded and then paused. Before opening the door that was fairly reminiscent of the one from the third week, he looked to his Conductor. Wordlessly, he slipped his hand into his pocket and removed an extremely small letter. He smirked faintly, handing it to his Conductor.

"Don't open it until this is over, okay Conductor?" He didn't wait for an answer and opened the door to the Dead God's pad.

Neku glanced at the letter in sheer bafflement, before stowing it safely in a pocket. Why couldn't Joshua just _tell him_ whatever was written on it? Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the large ornate doors and into blinding light.

A surge of power rushed through the Composer at once. Quickly, he stole his Conductor's wrist and set about changing their frequencies, the added power of the River making the feat possible and far less dangerous.

A wave of vertigo made Neku stumble as the world around him wavered, momentarily winking out of existence before coming back in focus. The only thing that kept him grounded was the solid grip on his wrist. He blinked to clear his vision only to see about a hundred Reapers blinking back at him in utter shock.

When Joshua arrived in the UG, he purposely raised his Frequency further so that none of the Reapers saw his true-RG form, and instead the glowing, older, ethereal form. "Neku, introduce yourself," he urged, voice deeper in this form.

Neku spun around at the unfamiliar voiced and just gaped, resisting the urge to cry out something embarrassing. Oh, Composer, duh. Quickly collecting himself, he faced the silent mass of Reapers who were all glaring at him. "I..." He gulped. Why didn't Joshua _ever_ tell him anything important?

Joshua sighed. "This is your new Conductor," he explained simply, his hand never having fallen from Neku's wrist.

Neku fidgeted, unused to being gawked at by so many people. He raised a hand, feeling lame. "Hi."

"Ph-Ph-Phones?!" shrieked a hooded Reaper who Neku identified as Tenho.

"You'll respect him and abide by every command he gives you," Joshua stated slowly and glanced around. "Kariya? Are you still here?"

"Right over here, Composer, sir," came the unmistakable lazy drawl from the ex-Conductor from somewhere in the frantically murmuring crowd. Kariya raised a hand, partly in greeting and partly to be seen.

The Composer nodded.

"S-s-sir you _can't_ be serious. He's not even _dead_," Uzuki interrupted, eyes narrowing as she tried not to meet her superior's gaze.

"I'm quite serious," Joshua deadpanned. "Are you questioning my judgment, Uzuki?"

"No sir!" she chirped and gave a salute before grumbling to herself.

Kariya patted his partner comfortingly on the shoulder with a gentle hand. His other held his beanpaste. "You'll get your promotion, Uzuki."

"Neku, as your first order, I want you to instruct all the Reapers to report back to Pork City. This battle is ours alone," the Composer stated quietly to Neku.

Neku frowned uncertainly, overwhelmed by the how sudden everything was. He was definitely in over his head with this Conductor thing. He faced the room and in doing so, became aware of the onslaught of mostly hostile stares, though there were a few encouraging ones. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the leader of Def March giving him a thumbs up.

Taking a deep breath, Neku took a step forward and the room quieted immediately. No matter how much the Reapers didn't like it, none of them dared to question the Composer's judgment. "I... I want you all of you guys to re-station at Pork City." Neku forced the words out, trying and failing to channel Megumi Kitaniji.

"But!" Uzuki reasoned but was silenced from an intense stare from the Composer. "Oh, all right," she sighed heavily and snapped her fingers, disappearing at once.

The various Reapers looked over at each other and shrugged, following Uzuki's lead. One by one, they disappeared until only Kariya was left. The lazy Reaper gave Joshua a nod before turning to Neku. "I'm glad you said yes," he offered before he too vanished.

Neku stared at the spot that Kariya just vacated. He wasn't sure if he was glad.

Upon the Reapers' leave, Joshua's frequency lowered so that he was once more standing beside Neku in his RG-form. "Sticklers aren't they?" he sighed dramatically.

Relief flooded Neku at not having to bear the scrutiny of his, oh shit; they were going to be subordinates, weren't they? He turned back to the Composer's now familiar form. "Some warning would have been nice," he pointed out, glaring.

"But that would have been no fun," the silveret giggled and dropped Neku's wrist at once. "We're going to wait for him in the Room of Reckoning," he stated softly, the humor fading.

Neku nodded jerkily. "Ok," he agreed, just as soft. "You up for this?"

"Of course," Joshua replied at once, though deep down he wasn't entirely certain. Quietly, the Composer headed towards the black door at the end of the room. Once there, he looked to Neku quietly and then to the door before opening it without a word.

The Conductor of Shibuya took slow, careful steps forward until he was next to his Composer. He gritted his teeth. "This is it, then?"

"That it is," Joshua agreed solemnly and closed his eyes, listening to the faint Music of the city. "If something happens to me, I want you to take my place."

"Oh, shut up," Neku replied in exasperation. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

"So naive, Neku," Joshua sighed and shook his head, flexing his hand in front of him.

"It's called 'faith'," Neku explained.

Joshua glanced over at Neku for a moment, surveying the Conductor. "Whatever you say, Neku."

Neku sighed again. "Let's just go in."


	7. Chapter 7 Part One

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 7 Part One  
**

Joshua glanced wordlessly around the capacious Room of Reckoning, frowning at the tainted music that beat out through the walls. He closed the door upon entering and warded it, not wanting to make it easier for their 'little friend' to follow. He wanted the man to put up a struggle, to tire out, before he got to Shibuya's Composer and Conductor. Regardless, the silver-haired Composer glanced around the room, frowning at the fading graffiti on the walls. His eyes fell to the ground at once, not saying a word. The sound of Shibuya was distorted and choppy in this room, making it hard to concentrate on the beauty and purity of the city. This was all just a huge mess.

The room hadn't gotten any cozier from the last time Neku had visited. Though he didn't have agoraphobia, this place made a small part of him want to curl up into a little ball and shake. His footfalls rang hollow, sounding far too loud against the silence and he could hear the echo of his own breathing. He really didn't like this place. There were too many terrible memories, hanging from the walls like ghosts. "Kind of gloomy isn't it?" he mused aloud, just for the sake of saying something to drive away the quiet that was rattling his bones.

"Hm...that it is," Joshua agreed with a nod and walked down the middle of the grey room, violet eyes glued to the nearing throne. He said nothing more to his Conductor for the time being. Carefully, he stalked up to the throne and stretched out his right arm. Pale, sinewy fingers glided over the chilly arm-rest, wincing at the lack of heat. It was always cold...always a mirror image of its ruler.

Neku shifted, feeling uncomfortable to be in Joshua's presence for the first time in a while. He couldn't be blamed, the last time he and the Composer were in this room... "I never got a chance to ask, but," Neku spoke up, "what exactly is this place?"

Joshua paused, fingers flattening against the cold stone. "This is the heart of Shibuya," he explained, voice void of any real emotion or tone. "It's the center of this part of Tokyo and where the Composer calls home. Most of all the Music that is made is created here."

"It's... so empty." Neku closed his eyes and reached out with his senses and shuddered at what he could feel. What Music remained in the room had been heavily damaged but the bare traces that he could still make out cried out in sadness and isolation. "Tell me that this isn't how it always is."

"No, it's not," Joshua reasoned. "It's just...taken a beating lately with everything that has occurred," the Composer explained tonelessly and resumed running his thin fingers over the throne.

Neku ached to ask about the events that took place during his last day in the Game but was wary about how to broach the topic. "... you said this was your home. Where the hell do you sleep?"

"There's a door leading to a hallway in the far corner," Joshua explained, his left hand rising to point at the corner nestled in the back of the room on the right. "It leads to a few rooms. Most of the previous Composers chose to continue with their RG lives and live with the ones they left...but considering I don't have such connections, _this_ is my home."

"When we first met... you told me that 'Joshua' was what your parents called you. What happened to them?" Neku unconsciously chewed his lower lip, worried that the question had been too personal.

"They died awhile ago," Joshua explained with another indifferent shrug. "I stayed with Sanae for a few months but decided I was intruding and instead chose here."

With a start, Neku realized that the Music he had heard left behind in the walls was an echo of the Composer's melancholy. "Josh... Do you ever get lonely?"

Joshua quirked a brow and kept his gaze steady on the familiar throne. "I suppose," he mused, voice concealing the honesty in that statement.

The Conductor felt his throat constrict as he stared at his Composer's form, a silhouette in the dim lighting and was again astounded by how human he was. Despite all of his infuriating smugness and superiority, Neku's heart went out to him. He let out a small cough to hide his uneasiness. "You need to redecorate," he complained. "After this, we should go buy some... furniture."

"Furniture? I have furniture in the other rooms," Joshua stated slowly, cryptically. "Megumi rarely came in here. Mostly the room prior is used..."

Neku huffed, crossing his arms. "You'll still need to fix this place up, if you're ever going to spend any amount of time in this place. I mean, how can you even _stand_ looking at this? It's just depressing."

Joshua sighed and rolled his eyes. "What? You plan on spending time in here too?" He turned back around to face Neku, eyes staring at the Conductor with disbelief.

The truth was, Neku didn't quite believe that he was willing to either. "I am going to be working here, after all," Neku answered with a sigh. "That other place outside looks like some kind of bar. It doesn't even have proper a desk and there's _fish_ swimming around on the ground."

"Megumi designed it, can't you tell?" Joshua hummed and took a seat on the throne, thick eyelashes falling down to cover his eyes in a blanket of darkness for the time being. With his eyes closed, he looked utterly vulnerable.

The new Conductor fidgeted at the mention of the man he had as good as erased. "... not to speak ill of my predecessor, but... what the heck was Shades thinking?" He observed the tired figure ruler of Shibuya and felt rather like he was intruding upon a private moment.

"I'm not entirely sure. He never let me into his thoughts...I suppose that's why Shibuya was as cold as it was those years," the silveret hummed to himself, eyes shut in total concentration. "I know you're wanting to ask so go ahead. Ask me what you will."

"You guys weren't... friends?" Neku took the invitation without hesitating. He hoped Joshua's answers would be less cryptic this time.

"Distant friends, if you will," Joshua explained, shrugging his shoulders as he rested back against the throne. "He preferred work--I didn't bother him. I only contacted him when necessary. He ran the game smoothly."

"Where... where is he now?" Neku asked, partly because he was still not over his guilt at his hand in defeating the man who had only wanted to protect Shibuya... and partly to delay asking the one he wanted to the most.

"...He was erased, as the rules stated when he received his timer," Joshua murmured distantly.

"When Rhyme was erased... she come back as Noise," Neku recounted hesitantly, "is... is that what happened to him?"

Joshua was silent for a moment. "I'd like to think that," he admitted, shifting uncomfortably on the throne. "I'd like to think that he's in Noise form out there, or that he somehow received reincarnation..."

"Yeah," the Conductor echoed. He attempted to ignore the dull atmosphere that had fallen over them. "For the record, I am _not_ going to bet with you. On anything."

"Mm...I was against the bet originally," the Composer admitted and shrugged. "Megumi made me reconsider my position...I was going to erase Shibuya for good, but you convinced me otherwise."

There. That was what Neku had wanted answered more than anything. "I... I was so sure that it was the end. That you were going to erase everything; the streets, the buildings, my friends... everything. But you changed your mind... because of me? How? What did I do?" He lowered his gaze to the floor and saw himself reflected there, looking back at him bitterly.

Joshua inhaled deeply, eyes shutting. "You showed me there was another side of Shibuya, one I had been ignoring. I was concentrating on its flaws...its impurities. You showed me friendship. I admit, that sounds horribly cliché and sappy. I chose you because you reminded me of myself...I was mistaken. You're far bigger of a person than I ever was. Shibuya knows that and chose you as its Conductor. And you see, I chose you as well, not just because the city needed you. There's a fine line between wanting something and needing it. I don't just need you, I want you."

Neku fell silent at the answer, contemplative; he had been sure that Joshua would have dodged the question as he tended to whenever Neku tried to get serious. He felt a heady rush of relief and happiness that the friendship that he had so treasured hadn't been a lie. Then he quirked an eyebrow when he registered the last sentence. "Wait... what do you mean by 'you want me'?"

Joshua shifted his gaze off Neku, eyes slipping shut once more. "It's nothing," he murmured, hands strumming against the armrest.

And the Composer was back to being vague. This only made Neku more curious. "You can't just say something like that and not explain. What did you mean?"

Joshua silently growled under his breath. "What I _meant_ was..." He trailed off, partly because he couldn't say the rest and partly because he heard faint noises outside the door. Quickly, the Composer got to his feet, eyes flashing open, as he concentrated on said door. At once, his body began to glow faintly.

Neku cursed himself at lowering his guard and spun around to face the doorway, planting his feet firmly onto the floor's glassy surface. He had almost forgotten that they were about to face the worst threat to the City's existence that they had ever seen. "He's here..."

"Gee, I hadn't figured that out," Joshua stated sarcastically as he felt each and every spell on the door being broken. The Composer tensed, feeling the fabric of Shibuya fraying...the strands coming undone. The only thing that kept it together now was his Conductor. As he stood there, he prayed that his Producer would feel the sudden decline and keep the others safe.

Neku flinched as he could keenly hear Shibuya wailing as it struggled to hold itself together. Gritting his teeth, he held on through the terrible tremors and prepared to face unimaginable horrors. "This guy's a monster."

"I agree," Joshua mused and fell silent when he watched the doors fly open, a dark blue light drifting in along with the figure of a teenage boy. He tensed further and protectively brought up a dim shield around his Conductor.

"Good to see you and your Conductor survived this long," the dark-haired male stated as he entered the room and met the gaze of the pair.

"You asshole," Neku growled. Then he asked the default question that one demands from a villain. "Why the fuck are you doing all this?"

"Because, this city needs some reforming...needs a bit more fear and chaos. A person's true colors don't show until death is right there--this whole city is fake. So easily brainwashed...why not put it to good use?" the male laughed as he gave a tug absently to his jacket sleeve, smirking boldly at the pair.

"Can't you think of a better, not-cliché reason to overthrow a ruler?" Joshua questioned sarcastically, eyebrows furrowing. "The entire 'create an empire' thing is _really_ getting old," the Composer all but growled as he glowed brighter from anger.

"So basically," Neku summed up, sneering, "You're just another pathetic coward who gets the warm fuzzies when you fuck things up."

The man growled, losing his composure at the insults. "I didn't expect you'd have the capacity to understand my reasoning." He tossed his hair back with an irritated scowl. "Well, enough talk. I'll be taking that _throne_!" To punctuate his words, he flicked a wrist and what appeared to be at least a thousand Rogues rose from the shadows that pooled at his feet.

Joshua's eyes narrowed at the chattering of the dark Noise, their music so wretched and horrid. He raised his Conductor's shield before unleashing a flash of blinding light, dispelling the approaching noise that had stepped too close to the pair. Being Composer did have its perks when it came to power.

"That's not going to do anything, you know," the man chuckled as another group of Noise took the place of the erased ones, the earlier ones progressing closer still.

"Why don't you fight like a real ruler would. Alone and without your minions?" Joshua quipped, voice dark and dangerous. He just hoped it didn't perturb his own Conductor too much.

Neku felt a small chill run down his back at the Composer's tone but was too busy with covering their backs to pay it any mind. He had pulled out his Black Planet set and vaporized a mutated corehog before it could turn them into Swiss cheese. "We're not even making a dent..." he told Joshua in a harsh shout.

The one Neku had affectionately nicknamed Psycho grinned, baring a perfect set of white teeth. "Do you know why a King has an army? It's so that he wouldn't have to dirty himself with riffraff. And besides," he added, brushing a piece of invisible lint from his long coat, "where's the fun in giving you better odds? It's not particularly smart."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "So you admit that you're just a weak bastard who can't do anything without someone else," the Composer drawled and shot another wave of light at the enemy, eyebrows knitting together in frustration.

"You amuse me, Composer," the man chuckled as his hand glowed a faint red, an orb of fire appearing in it. "I bet you'd grovel at my feet if I had your pretty little Conductor by the throat."

Neku's eyes widened as the massive attack hurtled towards them. Without thinking he leapt in front of Joshua, throwing a barrier of water between his body and the fireball and braced himself as the attack hit, the flames pushing him backwards as steam erupted around him, inevitably blocking his vision. Suddenly, the heat vanished and Neku let out a pained cry as a clawed hand shot out from the mist and imbedded itself into his abdomen.

Joshua's eyes grew dark and rather venomous when he realized something had harmed his Conductor. His body glowed brighter than before as he stepped to the side of Neku, arms stretching out. Without warning, hot light filled the expansive room, the Composer pissed off more than earlier thought plausible.

The man tossed his head back and gave an exhilarated laugh, despite Joshua's obvious display of power. "Your expression is exquisite, my dear Composer," he taunted. He casually, slid his fingers out from the Neku's body, evoking a strangled scream and splattering the floor with blood. A split-second later, he vanished from his position and reappeared across the room, behind his army.

Neku let out a gasp as he slid to the floor, trying to stem the blood flow with one hand and clumsily reactivating the healing barrier with the other. "I'm ok," he bit out to reassure the Composer.

Joshua fumbled to toss any healing energy he could possibly muster up at that moment to his Conductor. He growled under his breath once more and allowed beams of ethereal light to shoot down from the high ceilings, spades and spears raining down upon the army with no reservations.

The Noise were quickly decimated, no match at all for the Composer's fury. However, the grin on their enemy's face never faded. He clapped sarcastically. "Oh, bravo," he praised, "but that was simply an appetizer."

Neku's wound was thankfully not too deep and it soon scabbed over with the combination of their healing powers. He stood back up shakily, breathing hard. "Shit... what's this guy planning now?"

"I don't know," Joshua admitted with a shake of his head, voice still laced with dark intentions and anger. "You shouldn't be fighting Neku. Shibuya can't afford to lose its Conductor," he whispered harshly under his breath as he kept his gaze trained to the enemy, preparing himself for whatever was to come.

"And it can afford to lose its _Composer_?" Neku shot back. "Hell no. I'm not going to abandon you. And it's not like I can just politely ask him to let me pass the exit."

Joshua sighed fretfully. "You're so stubborn," he groaned and raised the barrier around them further, not wanting his Conductor to suffer yet another blow.

"You two are so sweet," the psychopath cooed, leering at the pair. "It almost makes me want to rethink blasting you to oblivion." His shadows snaked across the floor, encircling Neku and Joshua. Their surfaces bubbled and numerous pale, wraithlike torsos rose from their depths, their limbs grasping and flailing and etched across each of their sunken faces was a parody of a grin. "Since I'm so generous, I decided to bring a few gifts. I think you should remember them, little Conductor. You got to play with them about a day ago," he directed this at Neku's horrified and disgusted expression.

"This is absurd," Joshua growled, surveying the enemies with a pointed stare. He needed to figure out a weak point and fast before they decided to lash out and break down the barrier the two had constructed. It was almost sad that two men of such power had to use a _barrier_ to keep themselves from imminent death. If it wasn't such a deadly situation, Joshua would have laughed.

"If you weren't such a power-hungry lunatic, I may have considered handing over my position and ascending," the Composer tsked, shooting out daggers of ice from the barrier towards the wiggling shadowy figures.

"Why don't you save yourself the trouble and do it anyway?" the man suggested in an oily voice and clicked his tongue. "Time is ticking, my dear. You should have about two hours. I have _eternity_."

Neku shifted his body closer to Joshua's until their backs were touching; facing away from what had once been people. He hoped that this way, the Composer would be able to reduce the space the barrier had to over. "We have to think of something, fast."

"We need to focus our attacks on him," Joshua whispered in a berated voice, eyes narrowing at the contorted bodies of the shadows lurching in front of him. "Fight him, I'll protect you and keep these hideous things from breaking through." After his words, he shot out another array of ice and scorching light.

Neku shook his head at the plan, grabbing onto Joshua's arm. "Wait... I don't want to have to hurt those guys. They're just innocent people caught up in this mess. Like those Reapers who had the red skull pins. They're still human; just... twisted by that Music." His eyes suddenly lit up. "Maybe we can try fixing them! Then we can get that Psycho-freak."

Joshua groaned. "Neku..." His hesitation said what words couldn't about his character. He wasn't like his Conductors...he didn't like _fixing_ things. Either it was correct or it faced erasure. With another groan, the Composer wearily nodded and focused instead on the corrupted, earsplitting music from the ghostly figures, trying his best to listen and keep the barrier supported all at once.

Neku shut his eyes, trusting that Joshua would be able to shield them both. He was thankful that the barrier had also prevented the madman to hear their conversation. He blocked out the burning from his wounds and his exhaustion reached out to the grotesquely damaged Music. Spreading his senses out, he drew the screeching to him, despite the pain he felt just by coming into contact with it. He could feel his own Music shriek in protest and threaten to corrode. Gasping, he clutched at his head, but refused to give up.

Joshua, determined to keep his Conductor safe at all costs, reached behind him and slipped his hand around Neku's free wrist, letting his Music trickle into the youth's head. Anything to calm Neku and give him something pleasant to work with so that he wouldn't go insane from the power in the room.

The Conductor let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as the familiar and soothing Music filled him. Twisting his wrist until he could return Joshua's grip, he plunged back into the rotten melody.

Growing impatient, their attacker raised his hand in the air, signaling his army. "Finish them." The ferocity of the attacks doubled.

'I won't let you die again in this room, Neku. I promise.' Joshua's gaze hardened further as he felt the attacks hitting the barrier, making his skin burn in response. He upped the energy more and went about assisting his Conductor in the broken melodies, barely able to detect that the songs were once human. It was similar to someone banging their hands down onto a piano with all the foot peddles pushed down.

Neku dived deeper and deeper into the disgusting song, barely managing not to drown. Slowly, he was able to differentiate where the psychopath's Music had merged with his victims. Painstakingly, he began the draining task of untangling the horrifying strands. The twisted Music responded to his efforts by wailing and twisting to evade his grasp. Frustrated, Neku _reached_ and with power he didn't know he had, tore the melodies straight out from the shriveled bodies. The wretched Souls hung, suspended about them. Using the Music of Shibuya as a base, he wove a new pattern to replace old and with a burst of energy, forced them back into the possessed humans.

"Good job, Neku," Joshua whispered with exhaustion under his breath as he felt the volume of the uniquely grotesque music lower. He concentrated on a few victims himself, so used to Shibuya's true music that the task of constructing a new melody wasn't all that hard. His fingers tightened on Neku's wrist, watching as, one by one, the disgusting dark figures disappeared, the freed humans being sent back to the RG, unscathed, where they belonged.

"It... worked," Neku breathed, marveling at the now cleansed citizens of Shibuya vanished in a burst of while flames.

Their enemy on the other hand, was not nearly as pleased. An ugly scowl spread across his face as he watched his hard-earned slaves disappear. "You _fools_!" he shrieked, sending spears of solidified darkness at the weakened pair. "How dare you?!"

"You hurt my Conductor. You're on my erase-list," Joshua spat simply and shot up a few towers of light, hoping to weaken the darkness before it hit their damaged barrier. His body took on a brighter glow as he stared down the man harshly, far more serious than he had ever been before in his life.

The attacks were coming erratically as the madman was beside himself in his rage. "You... this is _far_ from over!" Suddenly, chains shot out, wrapping themselves around his limbs. He howled in agony as they zapped his strength and immobilized him. Snarling viciously, he identified Neku, with a Love Me Tether in his grasp, as the culprit.

"Fuck you," the boy spat. "And get rid of Joshua's Timer!"

Joshua smirked over his shoulder at his partner, gratitude shimmering in his usually sarcastic eyes. "And to think I almost didn't pick you," he purred and turned back to face the enemy, sending beams of light directed at the man ensnarled in the chains.

The man howled in agony as the attack seared his flesh. He dropped, hanging limply, held up by the chains. "You... insects!"

Joshua smirked and let his wrist drop from Neku's arm, fingers skimming over the boy's palm briefly. "You deserve every ounce of pain that's coming your way," the Composer stated darkly.

Neku's heart thumped painfully in his chest. Was it... finally over? For one glorious moment he dared to hope.

"Hah..." The man let out a humorless laugh. "Don't celebrate just yet," he warned.

Joshua's gaze returned to its earlier intensity. "Are you up for his trump card?" the silveret asked under his breath, figuring that something worse was about to come flying their way. Absently, he rested his fingers against Neku's palm.

"Of course," Neku muttered with some disappointment. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up.

Joshua giggled weakly under his breath as a set of massive white wings flew from his back the moment he stepped a foot away from Neku. They resembled regular Reaper wings, but were far larger and glowing white, nearly see-through.

A low whistle sounded quietly. Neku was impressed, if not a little envious. "Nice wings," he said, by way of explanation.

Joshua smirked and stepped beside his partner once more, wings stretching. "I'll teach you how to use yours later," the Composer murmured and set his gaze back on the struggling man whose eyes were now glowing an off red. Joshua's smug demeanor faltered once again.

The man's pale visage contorted as his jaw stretched so widely that his cheeks tore and his brown eyes rolled back in their sockets and sunk in, while leaked a steady trail of black fluid. The remaining skin on his face hardened into a dull red with the texture of bark. A hump grew beneath his coat before it was torn to shreds as countless bonelike ligaments branched out from his back. His fingers elongated and thickened, then split apart from each other, shredding his arm into hideous writhing appendages. Hysterical laughter bubbled from his throat as the rest of his body underwent a similar transformation. A Reaper's Noise form was usually an animal that they identified with the most. In this case, this man was...

"A monster," Neku whispered out in horrified fascination gawking at the _thing_ that now took up almost the entire room. The words were a gross understatement. Quite literally.

Joshua's face expressed the sudden horror that was bestowed upon the pair. The Composer's jaw dropped a bit, eyes widening for a mere second before resuming their narrowed stance. Without a second thought, he continued channeling energy to the barrier around them, chewing on his bottom lip as he did such. He needed to find a weakness with this thing now. The people had been easy. This thing…it didn't even have Music.

"If you think that's hideous, you should see my Noise form, dear," Joshua stated mockingly under his breath, wings stretching as energy continued to drip from his fingertips, into the floor around them and the air. "Any plans of attack, Neku?"

"Are you kidding me?" Neku exclaimed, shrinking back, "I'm preoccupied enough with counting that thing's _legs_." The only semblance of a battle plan that he could muster up at the moment consisted of closing his eyes, screaming, and randomly hitting it with projectiles.

"If you're scared, all you have to do is say the word and I'll hold you," Joshua cooed, voice doing a decent job at containing his own fear and disgust. His eyes continued dancing over the scaly, blistering flesh, finding it more complex by the second. Random spikes and horns protruded from the raw and bleeding flesh, proving the 'Noise' to be more than just a foe.

"Neku..." Joshua stated uneasily as he ground his feet harder into the ground, holding his ground. His form dimmed a bit, struggling to formulate a plan in his usually spot-on mind. Anything _great_ would suffice but...

"Having you hold me would be scarier," Neku continued their banter as it was the only thing that kept him from giving in to his instincts and screaming. He pulled out his Drake pin and aimed a tall burst of flames at a random part of the monster's body. "We have to start from somewhere!" he suggested.

Joshua growled some at the energy already pulsating from the monster's body. Every single limb seemed to be radiating death and an abundance of unreserved energy. It truly disturbed the Composer. "Wonder if shooting it would work," he stated dryly as he assisted his Conductor in shooting beams of light near the same section that Neku was attacking.

Neku continued his assault alongside his partner, using only ranged attacks to avoid having to touch the thing. With a sinking feeling, he noticed that their efforts seemed to do little beyond thoroughly antagonizing it. "Some of those Composer-powers might come in handy right about now," he choked out.

The thing screeched and shook uncontrollably. It lashed out from random directions with its horrific extremities, threatening to crush the two boys.

Joshua quickly sent up an arc of light towards the incoming limbs, nearly slicing them in half. The limbs pulled back for the time being, almost healing completely when they were close to their host once more. The Composer growled some, violet eyes shades darker than usual as he sent another array of arc-light at the Noise, hoping to do some damage. "I can't use my powers all the way while keeping this barrier up, Neku," Joshua grumbled under his breath to his partner, staying close beside the boy as his mind raced. He needed help. He had underestimated this guy and now he was going to have to pay. He and Neku _couldn't_ do this by themselves...

"Hey boss, Kariya called earlier and said-- Wholy beans...Boss, what _is_ that thing?"

Joshua snickered under his breath at the familiar voice a few yards behind him and his Conductor. "Why, it's just a little Noise, Sanae," he teased through gritted teeth as he heard more footsteps. His eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion. Had Sanae dragged more Angels with him or?...

"Neku! Are you all right?" Ah yes, that sickeningly sweet feminine voice.

"Sh-Shiki?!" Neku all but shrieked, looking over his shoulder at the familiar voice. The brown-haired girl gave him a hesitant but encouraging smile while doing her best not to look at the giant creature that spanned almost the entire room. Then, she stepped forward, revealing her companions and evoking a new set of shocked curses from the redhead. "Beat? And ... what the... _Rhyme too_?!" Heart pounding, he stared, wide-eyed and disbelieving at his three friends, feeling as if he had just fell into a strange new dimension. "What... what are you _doing_ here?"

"Well you see," Sanae stated slowly, putting up an invisible barrier around the three teenagers so that the enemy wouldn't decide to randomly lash out at them, "Kariya called me and told me that you two hot-shots were gonna try and do things yourself. Couldn't let that happen so...I planned on comin' here alone to help, but then Shiki came into Wildkat with the gang and started ramblin' about odd things happening in the RG. She asked if I knew anythin' about them...and well, here we are, Phones."

"Mm... lovely," Joshua cooed, snickering under his breath.

"Neku! We were so worried about you, with everything that's been going on. We went to your house, but your dad said that you just disappeared," Shiki held her stuffed cat closer, her face shinning with relief at seeing her friend still in one piece, albeit about to be crushed by a huge gigantic monster. She looked as though she would have run over and hugged him to death if the circumstances had allowed it.

"How touching," Joshua sighed under his breath, going back to shooting attacks at the monster while his Conductor 'caught up' with the others.

"I can't exactly interfere with the UG so...think you'll let them help, boss? Alive people in the UG are bound to be more powerful than regular Players," Sanae suggested.

"Oh...I suppose."

"Yo, Phones, ya hear dat?" Beat hollered over the monster's wailing. "We be coming to save your ass now!" Rhyme giggled, as upbeat as ever as she held onto her brother's hand.

"A problem shared, is a problem halved," she said solemnly. "Neku, next time you should come to us if you get into trouble."

Throughout all of this Neku, had stayed quiet, his eyes moist with gratitude. Though he was still worried for his friend's wellbeing, he couldn't describe how glad he was to see them. "Thank you," he whispered.

"I've never really fought all that much before... but if it'll help Neku, I'll try," Rhyme decided as she quickly pulled up her long orange sleeves. "I think I still have the pins from the game..." She reached into her pocket and took out a cluster of five that Shiki had instructed her to bring with them to Wildkat, just incase.

"Yo Phones, ya think creepy monster thing is ready fo' a beat down?" the older sibling asked as he punched his fist into his other palm, his own pins already attached to his hat.

Joshua rolled his eyes and continued attacking, albeit the urge to just let Neku's friends handle it.

Shiki placed a Psychokinesis pin onto her beloved doll and it became animated once again, jumping onto its feet and holding its hands in front of him like a boxer. "Go, Mr. Mew!" she called as the kitty leapt forward, scratching every part of the thing that it could reach.

Wiping away the moisture from his eyes, Neku became far more determined than before, his resolve hardening in the presence of his friends. He redoubled his efforts to bring down the enemy that had made all of them suffer so much. "Let's end this!" he addressed them all, his voice like steel.

Beat snarled under his breath and gripped onto his hat, allowing blades of energy to slice through the air followed by a few rounds of egg-shaped light. "Yo man, what is this thing?..."

"You don't really want to know," Joshua grumbled under his breath and went about shooting what could only be likened to tunnels of light at the Noise, temporarily lowering the barrier to achieve such.

The beast hissed in fury at the sudden increase of the attacks, and opened its mouth, letting loose devastating globs of corrosive fluid which rained down on the six of them, thankfully only partially melting the barriers.

Neku flinched back and looked to Joshua in concern. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm...fine," the silveret grumbled stubbornly and continued pushing his powers to the limit, waves of energy continuing to shoot down on the enemy.

The monster appeared to be gradually weakening which encouraged the teenagers to step up their attacks. A wild hope rose up in his chest, almost suffocating him. With Shiki, Beat and Rhyme stepping into the fray, Neku couldn't help but think their chances suddenly looked brighter.

However, as soon as he had dared to hope, an eerie chuckling flooded the room. The area right beneath the creature's gaping mouth opened up, revealing a pale, pointed face encrusted with a pair of glowing eyes. "You pathetic little worms," it sneered. "Did you really think you could beat me if you all worked together?" Mouths opened on the rough surface of its grisly body and energy hovered above them, gathering into orbs, preparing to fire.

Joshua sensed the sudden increase of energy hovering up them. The heat was unbearable and he knew if the shards of fire and pure energy hit any of them, it'd all be over. With a rather disdainful sigh, the Composer allowed his body to levitate a few feet off the ground, wings expanding. His distant gaze dropped to his Conductor briefly.

"Keep them safe," the Composer whispered emotionlessly before sending a large pillar of light towards the orbs and Noise itself, his entire form glowing as brightly as it could. His eyes snapped shut as the overload of power threatened to tear his body apart, limb by limb. His mind began slipping out of consciousness as energy continued pouring out of him with no reserve, aimed directly at the beast.

"Joshua!" Neku cried out alarmed by the reckless display. Through their bond, he could feel that the Composer was at his limits, unable to use his full power with the psycho's curse still limiting his frequency. Summoning up all of his own strength, he wished desperately to be able to reach him on time. Distantly he heard someone gasp as pain exploded in his shoulder blades but he ignored it all, flying—how was he flying?—up to Joshua's burning figure and held on to him, siphoning some of the energy from his body before it could destroy the Composer's body. Using his own body as a conduit, he channeled the energy and directed at the monster, adding onto the impressive amount with his own. "Josh?" he demanded shakily, tightening his hold. "Can you hear me? _Joshua!_"

The amount of energy that the Composer had shoved onto his body took a toll on him even before Neku could channel some through his body. He was knocked unconscious, floating only because of the power shooting through his body. He felt weightless as his mind slowly slipped into a comatose, the blackness spinning around and around in his head until his thoughts took control of his weakening body.

.

His eyes weakly fluttered open in his mind, staring dimly at the white room that surrounded him. The pain that the energy was causing in his real body stung and he tried to ignore it, refusing to stop the attack. The Composer grumbled in his thoughts, his dream-body weak and refusing to let its owner sit up.

"I suppose this means I'm dead, huh?" he asked dryly, staring at the nonexistent floor with distaste. He couldn't hear what was going on the Room of Reckoning, but he supposed that was for the better.

"Not exactly," chided that dark and sinister, familiar voice.

Joshua groaned upon hearing it and looked weakly up through silver, sweat-covered bangs at the foggy image of the dark-haired male. "Coming to do away with me in my thoughts? How noble of you..."

The man chuckled and walked over, crouching down against the white ground. "Your attack was pretty powerful. Be glad that your Conductor is such a quick thinker," he chuckled darkly and smirked down at the Composer.

"Always has been," Joshua grumbled, still looking up at the man with hazy eyes. "How _did_ you get into my thoughts?"

"Magic," sneered the man and pointedly tapped the Composer on the head mockingly. "Your timer is running out," he explained with another dark smirk.

"And Neku and his little friends are about to do away with you," Joshua murmured, absently looking down to his hand with a frown. Five minutes... "He'll take my spot once this timer runs out. He won't let you mess up the city he's grown to love."  
"That's what you think," the dark-haired power-hungry man sniggered and winced a bit, obviously taking a hit in his Noise form back in the real-world. "Pretty noble of _yourself_ using that attack to protect all your little friends."

"Why are you doing this? Surely you can answer me that," Joshua murmured, his body feel fatigued and exhausted.

"Shibuya needs reforming."

"I know that," Joshua seethed numbly. "I've been _trying_, idiot."

The man rolled his eyes and stood back up, dusting off his coat with another wince. "You know, I think your little minions might actually defeat me."

"You're such an idiot," Joshua muttered, rather irked. "Doing away with me will solve nothing. I hope you burn in hell." He lowered his head and nestled it in his pale, glowing arms, feeling energy continue to leave his already damaged body.

"We'll see."


	8. Chapter 7 Part Two Finale

**Coup D'Etat**

**Ch. 7 Part Two  
**

Perspiration beaded down Neku's forehead as he held Joshua's unresponsive body, the very act of touching it sending waves of pain through his limbs. The Composer's raw energy continued to violently bubble beneath his skin and Neku continued to draw it out, trying to prevent it from damaging Joshua's body as much as possible while he struggled with maintaining the clear barrier on his own. Protectively, he wrapped his dark, spidery wings around them, entangling them with his Composer's. To his alarm, Joshua pulse was starting to slow and his breathing became increasingly labored. Biting back the urge to cry, Neku poured everything he had into channel their combined powers into his Anguis pin, shooting massive beams at the weakening monster.

As Neku continued to assault the Noise monster with his friends, watched by a nervous Sanae Hanekoma who was powerless to do anything, two familiar Reapers appeared on the scene. More so, one angry and determined pink-haired Reaper dragging another by the collar, her heels smacking the ground when they teleported onto the scene.

"Gwaghh!! You idiot, I told you we should have left earlier! See, the hideous thing is almost dead!" Uzuki hollered as she glared at the familiar ex-Players and then wearily at the Conductor with slight envy. "I'm not getting my promotion now! It's all your fault you stupid, stupid man!"

Kariya sighed, long and suffering, as he tried to block out his partner's bitching. "The Composer ordered us to stay out of the way," he tried to placate the girl around the candy in his mouth. "We shouldn't even be here." He gave said hideous thing a look mixed with disgust and horror over his lenses and regretted having come. Once you see something, you can't un-see it, as someone wise once said.

Sanae lifted his gaze off the gruesome fight and over to the two Reapers. "Uzuki, you'll probably end up getting a promotion after this. No worries..." He trailed off when he noticed the frail condition the Composer was in.

"Argh!!... Are you both expecting me to stand here and?!...Argh!" the pink-haired Reaper growled and pulled out as long nails unsheathed from her gloves, glowing dark blue at the points. She stepped closer to the Ex-Players and began slashing at anything she could get her hands on, as well as attempting to throw cursed Psychs at the Monster to slow it down. "You stupid, stupid, ugly thing!! If _I_ was the Conductor you'd already be dead!" she growled whilst attacking, receiving a heavy sigh from Sanae in the back near Kariya.

"Whatever you say, ma'am," Kariya sighed tiredly, putting away his bean paste as he pushed off from where he was standing to support his partner.

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme shot the Reaper duo wary looks, clearly not happy to be fighting on the same side, all of them having had unpleasant encounters with her before. Uzuki had clearly not been forgiven for Shiki, who had almost been erased by a deceived Neku, and Rhyme who had been erased by her trap, though all three were willing to let it slide for now.

"Jus' don't slow us down, Pinky!" Beat snarled.

Uzuki continued her bombardment of attacks on the power-hungry man, refusing to even look back at the ex-Players who she had once terrorized. They weren't part of her equation for victory and...speaking of equations...

"What? I wasn't invited to the combining matrix party? I should really multiply you all by zero," chuckled a youthful voice as a teenager appeared beside Sanae Hanekoma, black hat tilted as he came into focus. "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, but no one overthrows the Composer besides me, you stupid hectopascal. Prepare to be iterated!" He tossed the Producer a greeting smirk before rushing onto the scene, his body pulsing with the remnants of taboo energy that had remained.

"...Guess boss didn't erase him after all," Sanae chuckled uneasily, amused at the backup appearing by the moment.

Neku barely registered the new arrivals, focusing everything he had into attacking and keeping Joshua in one piece. Though, if he had paid a bit more attention, he would have fallen out of the air in shock. "C'mon, c'mon," he muttered the words under his breath like a mantra as he fired up powerful blast after blast, trying to defeat the monster as fast as possible. As if mocking him, the Timer's Music pulsed merrily in his ears.

The creature's body resembled nothing like it had, even an hour ago; most of its limbs had been ripped apart by the ferocious assault on all sides. Its body riddled with holes and scratches, it twisted, shooting off frantic lasers, and occasionally swiping at the closest teens, forcing them to scramble madly out of the way.

Joshua's body remained limply in Neku's hold, showing no signs of recovering or getting worse.

Minamimoto joined Uzuki's side, smirking wildly at her astonished look. Since when had _he_ returned? She didn't question it and continued her rabid attacks on the beast, the potential promotion fueling her savage attacks. Her elongated nails dug deep into the boiling flesh, dragging up pieces when they retracted. She scoffed at the hideous, bloody sight and flexed her nails before attacking once more, seemingly not too fazed.

On her other side, Kariya was derisively sending blasts of energy, wishing that he could convince the pink-haired Reaper that their help wasn't needed anymore. After this battle, there had better not be anymore excitement for a long while.

"You zeroes are sooo zetta slow!" the Taboo Reaper taunted, immediately transforming into his Noise form and began delivering brutal, decimating blows on the dying beast. He let out long roar, then cackling almost rapturously.

Beat growled as he split a stray appendage that was getting too close to Rhyme. "Pi-Face! Why the hell you helpin' us, and not dat other freak?"

"FOIL. First outer inner last, you imaginary radians, no one tries to become Composer except me!" he cackled as he continued his assault, more so enjoying the raid on the monster than actually helping.

"Now if only I had a camera," Sanae Hanekoma sighed from the back of the room, still slightly astonished at how all the 'enemies' were working together. It was truly a Kodak moment. All _he_ was worried about was the passed-out Composer. He had never seen the kid in such bad shape.

Neku could feel Joshua's power growing weaker as the battle dragged on. Slowly lessening the power in his own attacks, Neku gently shook Joshua's body, frowning worriedly. "Hey... hey! Joshua, wake up!"

Joshua's glow was nearly out at that point, the timer having run-down to fifty seconds. His skin turned paler than usual as the battle raged on around the pair.

"Joshua!" Neku cried out, completely abandoning the fight and lowering them both to the ground. He cradled the Composer's limp body and desperately reached for his left hand, bringing the palm closer to his eyes and gasped in denial. The red digits were now visible, boldly marring Joshua's pale skin. "Joshua--!"

The Composer's body twitched in his comatose state, each second causing another round of unwanted pain to course through his already weak body.

"Phones!" Sanae shouted over the fight and rushed over as Joshua's wings dissipated, the timer continuing to countdown. "Phones..."

With less than a minute before Joshua disappeared forever, Neku became frantic. As a last ditch effort, he threw the remainder of his power into dismantling the Timer. He reached into the Composer's Music and grasped at the parasitic melody and desperately tried to wrench it loose but in had been rooted in for far too long and the effort made his head burn with agony. "Mr. H...!" Neku gasped out, "Please, you have to _do_ something!"

"If I wasn't in enough trouble _already_," the cafe owner sighed as he laid a hand onto the Composer's chest, watching the seconds of the timer going farther down. "I did tell him it'd be stupid to let ya go..." he sighed under his breath to himself as his hand glowed temporarily, brows furrowing at the curse laid upon not only Joshua's hand but his body as well.

Despite most of the attackers lowering their viciousness due to the fact that the beast was seemingly becoming weaker by the second, Uzuki continued to furiously swipe away at the distorted figure, anger seeping through her nails, hollering about how it was _everyone's_ fault this happened.

Sanae Hanekoma rolled his eyes at the pink-haired Reaper's odd way of showing passion and focused his attention on Joshua, the curse that had plagued him at first being lifted. "C'mon boss..." He eyed the timer wearily, uncertain if it was going to go away. "Don't die on me now, kid..." He looked helplessly to Neku. "You need to erase him," he gestured to the faltering beast. "In less than fifteen seconds or else Joshua ascends."

Neku stood up, but not before gently setting Joshua's frail body back down. "I can do that," he said, because there was no other choice. His sapphire-hued eyes snapped shut in preparation for his final attack. He gathered the last vestiges of his strength, but this time, he reached into his very core, tapping into the energy that fueled his own life. Neku's body began to glow, much like the Composer had before. He heard his friends call out to him as they sensed that something was wrong. He smiled down at them serenely but with a tinge of regret as he felt his human existence fade away.

Kariya quickly dragged a protesting Uzuki out of the way while Minamimoto scoffed at the Conductor and disappeared from view. Mr. Hanekoma quickly motioned at the former Players over to him, hastily erecting a barrier. He had the feeling whatever happened next would be big.

Unfurling his massive wings Neku rose soundlessly into the air until he was level with the monster's head, gathering his power at his fingertips. "Die," he said simply, unleashing a brutal, blinding blow that instantly vaporized everything it hit.

The screeching of the monster as it disappeared from not only the UG but existence itself was ear-splitting. It was as if someone had turned the speakers up on full blast and was purposely shoving them against your eardrums. The hissing noise evaporated after a few seconds, being replaced with a loud rumbling that echoed throughout the room until everything quieted the horrendous melodies of death and destruction fading into the walls—it wasn't the first time these walls had witnessed such an ordeal.

The red digits blinking on Joshua's left hand faded, having stopped at three seconds. His body twitched some, being low on energy and exhausted beyond belief. His glow had given out and now he looked like nothing more than a simple teenage boy lying on the cold ground.

.

Joshua groaned audibly, his well-deserved rest being interrupted by a loud clapping. The silver-haired Composer wearily lifted his head from the pillow his arms made, staring into the white haze around him. Well, at least he wasn't dead. Maybe in a permanent coma, but not dead. But now crazy-man was back and applauding him with that smirk of his. Lo-vely.

"Get out of my thoughts and leave me be," Joshua groaned doggedly, letting his chin rest back down on his arms.

"Your Conductor risked his own life to protect you and Shibuya," the dark-haired man stated, walking silently over to Joshua once more in a similar fashion to earlier. "Pretty righteous of him, don't you think?"

Joshua sighed, gaze averting as he remained laying on the ground. He paused, eyes glancing to his left hand. "…the timer's gone?"

"That it is," the other responded with a rather melancholic smirk. "If it hadn't been for your army, you'd be erased by now."

"And here's me playing the world's tinniest violin," the Composer grumbled and allowed his violet eyes to temporarily slip shut. "If my timer's gone, and I never gave up my position, what are you doing here again? Come to rant about how powerful and grotesque you were? Trust me, I've dealt with worse."

The man chuckled and smirked deprecatingly at Joshua. "The name's Damian."

"Mm…so only after we defeat you we learn your name? How cliché," Joshua yawned, eyes slipping back open. "It's not a native name, so I take it you're not from around here?"

"Good job, Composer," Damian snickered and mockingly clapped his hands together, dark hair falling in his eyes. "I came here a few years ago," he explained.

"And you just _had_ to get your hands on the throne, hrm?" Joshua asked lamely, head tilting to the side as his silver hair covered his distant eyes.

"Of course. Who would pass up an offer? The city was fading…it was nothing like back home. I saw that and decided to try and claim it. Who _hasn't_ dreamt of ultimate power?" the other questioned, eyebrow quirked.

"Neku," Joshua answered automatically, staring down at the white floor with a frown. "Now that you're…erased, I take it…you're going to become Noise for good, you're aware of this, right?"

"Fully," the man quipped with a heavy sigh. "If I had any energy left, I'd try and dethrone you right now."

"In my own thoughts? What an amusing idea," Joshua cooed and relaxed once more. "Sanae told me he helped you…you are aware that you betrayed one of the best to ever inhabit this city, correct?"

"Of course I know," Damian sniggered and hunched his shoulders. "He's the reason I was so powerful. His training…Damn, the guy really thought I was gonna end up your Conductor," he tsked. "Too bad you're stubborn and only had one guy in mind. So…I had to just take the throne by power."

"To which you failed, I know. This is getting old, I want rest," Joshua complained, eyes rolling.

"I'll leave you to that," Damian decided, glancing down at his fading arms. "Just don't screw up this city that much, okay Composer?"

"I assure you I won't," Joshua grumbled and closed his eyes once more, vaguely aware of Neku's music playing in his ears. It was so relaxing…so lulling. The Composer didn't even notice the man fade away, nor did he notice his consciousness slowly returning to his body. Neku's melody pounded in his ear, making him forget the city entirely for those few moments. And frankly, it was some of the best minutes of his life.

.

Completely exhausted and wings gone, Neku plummeted down from his position, landing heavily on the glassy floor, a few feet away from his Composer, facing the ceiling. "Is he ok?" he managed to ask, directing the question at the Producer.

The shield that had been erected before Neku's final attack dimmed and the teenagers rushed over to Neku's side, Sanae trailing in the back. He frowned at the Conductor, shaking his head, before crouching down to inspect Joshua. He reached out and touched the pale boy's forehead and then the vein on his neck, testing his pulse. Dark brown eyes lifted from Joshua's dreary and landed across his body to Neku.

"He's fine, kid," the café owner assured Neku, a weak smile on his face before looking down to the Composer. "So stubborn, boss…"

"Neku, are you all right?!" Shiki asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Her hand reached out and brushed back his bangs, staring worriedly down at him.

Neku gave his first partner a lopsided smile. "I'm ok, Shiki," he said softly. He lifted his head an inch to smile at the Bito siblings as well. Rhyme beamed back, discretely wiping away her tears on the sleeve of her sweater. Beat on the other hand was not so discretely trying to hide that he had begun bawling like a baby. "Thanks for coming." His head fell back against the floor with a thump, making him momentarily see stars. He closed his eyes once more and concentrated. His smile grew wider when he reached out for Joshua's Music and felt the Timer's clear absence.

"You look like you need a lot of rest," Shiki lectured, her stuffed cat back in her arms as she smiled down happily at Neku. "If you don't…Mr. Mew will get you," she warned playfully and leaned down to quickly hug the laying boy before sitting back up, clearly still shaken.

"Yeah…" Rhyme agreed quietly. "And so will Beat, right?"

"Of course, man, ya gotta rest and get better, ya look like crap," Beat stated, his arm coming up to cross over his wet eyes and cheeks. "Don't going doing 'dat again, yo… Phones, you scared us, man."

Neku laughed, basking in the feeling of having all his friends at his side. Unfortunately, the only thing missing from the scene were Joshua's smug remarks. At the thought, Neku's mirth faded somewhat. "Will he be waking up soon?" he asked quietly, there being no question of who he was talking about.

"Should be," Hanekoma responded as he passed a glance to the slumbering silveret. "If he isn't awake in five minutes, prod him," the barista urged with a chuckle, glancing around the room, inhaling deeply at the peace that now spread over Shibuya. He figured Joshua would need to fix a lot of the Music once he awoke.

"Hate to cut this short," Sanae began again, "but I kinda left the shop unattended..."

"Mr. H!" Shiki chided with her hands on her hips. "Surely this is a lot more important! Besides, your shop is always empty!" Beside her, Mr. Mew copied her pose.

Mr. Hanekoma chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well yah, Shiki...but I don't like leaving the place unlocked like that. Besides, Phones is fine."

Neku watched the exchange, looking tiredly amused as Beat jumped in berate Mr. Hanekoma. Suddenly, he tensed as he as angry footsteps began to approach. Turning his head, he saw Pinky stalking towards them, looking as if she was about to throw a tantrum, now that the treat was gone and the Composer wasn't lucid enough to rebuke her.

"You!" the pink-haired Reaper hollered as she pointed a finger in the Conductor's direction. "You stole _my_ promotion! I can't believe you! You're _alive_!" she complained, pulling at her hair in utter rage.

"Uzuki..." Sanae warned in a chuckle, glancing away from the teenagers briefly to eye the Reaper. "Now's not a good time--"

"Wait, what's Pinky goin' on 'bout?" Beat blurted out, having picked up on the strangeness on the conversation. "'Course Phones is alive!" Shiki and Rhyme nodded vehemently beside him.

"Actually..." Neku said sheepishly, though it wasn't exactly a good time to admit it, "I think I died during that last attack."

"...What?!" Shiki screeched, her eyes widening. "What do you mean died?! You're...You're right here in front of us!!..."

"Um..." Neku floundered for words, wincing at his big mouth. He attempted to explain. "Shiki, we're in the UG right now. I was here before because Joshua raised my Frequency but... well..."

"N-neku..." Shiki whimpered and closed her eyes, willing back her tears. "Does that mean...we can't see you anymore?"

"What? No!" Neku exclaimed, alarmed at how everyone suddenly appeared close to crying. "I'll still be able to visit!"

"B-but you're _dead_," Shiki reasoned with a huge frown on her face, looking far more worried than before. "I know Reapers can visit the RG but..."

"What?!" Beat hollered, "No way, you not thinkin' of joinin' them, are ya? Trust me, it was _horrible_, yo!"

Neku gaped at him, mouth moving wordlessly. How the hell was he going to break it to them? During his confusion, Rhyme reached out and held onto Neku's hand as if worried that he would disappear. "Neku..."

By that point, Joshua had stirred, eyes fluttering open weakly. He had listened to bits of the conversation and remained quiet up until the inquiry about Neku's position and what was to come of him. Slowly, the Composer sat up, rubbing his eyes as his vision drifted between clear and fuzzy.

"He's the Conductor now. He took Megumi's place," the silveret stated languidly from where he sat, trying to adjust to life once more.

"...Good going, boss," Sanae sighed and worried his bottom lip with a shake of his head.

There was a stifled, uneasy silence. "Come again?" Beat asked stupidly.

Joshua wasn't a good people-person, it seemed. "I _said_ he belongs to Shibuya now," he stated more vaguely.

"Joshua..." Neku began, his relief at the Composer's awakening drowned by his annoyance, "Shut up." Uzuki fidgeted at being ignored, but was now reluctant to voice her anger. Quietly, she tiptoed away to where Kariya was waiting for her.

Joshua's eyes darted irritably to his Conductor and then to the group of teenagers. "He's mine now. I'm afraid that there's no changing that fact."

A tick developed on Neku's brow. "You're making things worse," he hissed, still lying on his back. Shiki looked to the Composer and back to Neku and gasped, covering her mouth and apparently coming to the wrong conclusion.

Beat's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...! You... Prissy-Britches... you guys are...?"

"Oh my," said Rhyme, turning pink.

Joshua paused, eyes blinking rather innocently at the teenagers before what they were saying registered in his head. Did _everyone_ assume they were dating? He bit back his initial response. "No," he stated, though there was a strand of almost melancholy attached to his statement that he doubted any of the teenagers would notice. "He's the Conductor. That's what I was referring to." He was vaguely aware of Sanae's surprise at his honesty.

"Oh," all four of the teenagers replied, Neku included (who appeared utterly baffled at the fact that Joshua hadn't said something else). Shiki sounded just a touch disappointed.

"Wait... Conductor?!" Beat exclaimed again, "Like Shades was?" He turned to Neku in alarm. "Hey, dis guy didn' trick ya into it or nothin'?"

"No!" Neku denied, with surprising vehemence. "I agreed to it!"

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Daisukenojo, he agreed fully to it. He saved Shibuya and you should be honored to consider him a good friend of yours," the Composer lectured and folded his arms to his chest, still irked by the others.

"Bwaaah!" Beat shrieked, leaping backwards and almost knocking Mr. Hanekoma over. He muttered a half-hearted apology, and coughed, trying to regain his composure. "'Course I'm... hon... honored to be his friend!" He turned to Neku with earnest eyes. "An' I mean it, Phones. If ya chose dis, then it's cool wid me. Right guys?"

Rhyme and Shiki nodded eagerly, smiling at the red-haired teen. Shiki faltered though, gaze traveling over to Joshua. "...can he still visit us sometimes?..."

"If he must," Joshua sighed dramatically. "He can't be gone from the UG for too long. He _is_ it's Conductor," he reminded slightly sardonically and closed his eyes, not wanting to talk anymore.

"Phones will be able to spend time with you guys, don't worry," Mr. Hanekoma assured them, fixing his glasses some. "We better be heading back...don't know how staying in the UG for long periods of time is gonna affect you kids..."

"You guys..." Neku said, forcing his words past the lump that rose up in his throat. "I... I can't thank you enough. I'll come see you as soon as I'm better."

"We'll be waiting," Shiki said with a gentle smile before wrapping her arms tightly around the other, despite the awkward position. "We'll be here anytime you need us. Once a partner, always a partner," she reminded softly in his ear with a gentle giggle.

" 'Course man, we got yo' back," Beat stated, lightly thumping his chest with his fist with a grin as he looked to Rhyme who nodded firmly to her brother's words.

Neku returned Shiki's hug as best as he could. "Thanks again." He paused, remembering something. "Uh..." he spoke up again, with a little bit of dread. "Could... could one of you guys tell my dad I'm staying at Joshua's?"

Shiki instantly burst into a round of small giggles, hand flying up to cover her hand. "S-sure Neku," she stated through her innocent laughter, earning an odd look from Joshua. "It's just..." she began in explanation. "When we went to see if he knew where you were, he said to check at his boyfriend's house," she giggled.

Neku's dread turned to outright horror. He felt like curling up into a ball and hiding his face. "Oh... I see."

"I assume he was...mistaken?" Shiki asked innocently and playfully swatted at her friend's shoulder before getting to her feet along with her friends.

Neku covered his face with a hand. "Shit," he said. Now he'll never be able to convince his father that Joshua wasn't his _boyfriend_.

Joshua giggled quietly under his breath and leaned over to aimlessly play with a lock of Neku's hair. "It isn't _that_ bad, Neku"

"He's not your father," Neku complained, still lying down and feeling more exhausted than when he was actually fighting.

"If you want me to, Phones, I can talk to him?" Mr. Hanekoma suggested with a sheepish chuckle, looking at the Conductor with a shrug.

"...please," the redhead intoned pitifully. He gave the hand in his hair a playful swat.

Joshua smirked and let his fingers entangle with the swatting hand, staring down at the red-head.

"Heh...uhm..." Shiki trailed off, her face turning a soft red. "We'll just...get back to the RG now...we'll see you soon Neku. Have fun with your bo-- I mean Joshua!" she stated and waved her hands frantically before grabbing both Beat and Rhyme by the arm and dragging them next to Mr. Hanekoma.

She gave him a nod to signal they were ready.

"I'll talk to you boys later. Feel better soon, Phones..." Sanae hummed with a salute before allowing the light around them to flicker.

Neku watched them disappear from the UG, feeling as though he had missed something terribly important. "My what?" he echoed.

Joshua simply giggled, eyes trained down on Neku as he toyed with the captured fingers before he was interrupted by a loud clearing of a throat. The Composer visibly twitched and glanced over his shoulder at the pink-haired Reaper and her partner.

"About that promotion, sir?..." she stated, feigning a look of utter loyalty and innocence.

Joshua sighed, not wanting to deal with anyone at that moment besides his Conductor. "We'll see, Uzuki," he grumbled, making a mental note to tell Sanae to erase her and Kariya's memory of this part hour. It was too big of a gamble having them know his identity...despite the fact that Joshua suspected Kariya already knew...

Uzuki groaned audibly and nodded albeit her fury. She looked to Kariya with a scowl. "Let's go--I'm starved."

"Right away, ma'am," Kariya said with a slight chuckle. "I guess I owe you a bowl of ramen for standin' you up last time." With a placating hand on the small of Uzuki's back, he firmly steered her to the exit, twisting back to give a salute. "Later then, gentlemen."

Neku watched them go with a quirked eyebrow. "That was really surreal," he confided in Joshua.

"Indeed it was," Joshua agreed, eying the pair with a snicker. Perhaps he could spare Kariya's memory...he always did like the orange-haired Reaper among all the drones. His gaze turned down to Neku.

Now that the two were alone, (Minamimoto having gone off somewhere as soon as the monster was erased) Neku looked up at the Composer and offered him a wry smile. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"I'm glad that you're not erased," the Composer returned, pale digits sweeping over Neku's in a constant melody.

"You scared the crap out of me when you did that glowing thing," Neku admitted, his eyelids slowly becoming heavy. He was surprised that he stayed awake as long as he did.

"Mm...I had to do something. It's my job as Composer," Joshua reminded as he allowed some of his returning energy to filter into his Conductor. "If you'd like to sleep, you can. I'll leave you to yourself."

Neku fought a yawn, and barely triumphed. "You were going to say something before Psycho came," he remembered. "What was it?"

"...I was?" Joshua feigned innocence.

"Yes," Neku pressed, looking stubborn. "You didn't think I was going to forget that easily, did you?"

Joshua sighed. "It's nothing," he assured and dropped Neku's hand, getting to his feet.

"Fine," Neku relented, feeling too sleepy to argue. He closed his eyes. "You should think about getting a carpet. My back's really hurting."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "I told you, I never planned on decorating this place," he murmured, back to Neku.

"'Never planned' is past tense," Neku pointed out, his voice getting quieter.

Joshua paused. "What are you getting at, Neku?"

Neku lost the battle and yawned. "What I meant was... a lot of things can happen unexpectedly... I never planned to be your Conductor, so... it doesn't hurt to try new things."

Joshua closed his eyes. "You've never seemed the type to like new things," he mused.

"You can't open up your world if you don't try new experiences," Neku murmured, his words beginning to slur.

Joshua remained quiet for a moment. "But what if those new experiences destroyed everything you worked so hard to get?"

"Well..." Neku cracked an eye open and regarded the Composer tiredly. "Maybe they might. But there's still a chance that you might find something even better."

Joshua sucked in a deep breath. He had almost been erased..._Neku_ had almost left his life entirely. The silveret inhaled deeply once more, hands flexing by his sides. "...I love you."

"Oh," Neku said. Then he sat up suddenly wide awake. "... Is this another one of your jokes?" he asked.

Joshua flinched, his eyes narrowing impulsively. "If you think it's a joke," he began seething but calmed himself quickly. "_Do_ you think it's a joke?"

"I... I..." Neku's mouth worked soundlessly. His first impulse was to say "yes", but something in Joshua's eyes held him back. "...you're not joking." The meaning of the words hit him like a bulldozer.

"Good job, Neku," Joshua murmured with an eye-roll and shifted his gaze to the right. "...I'm going for a walk..." He turned back around, unable to look at Neku, not liking this sudden lack of control he had over his emotions.

Neku wanted to call after him, but was unable to think of anything to say. "...see you soon...?" he managed, hating how feeble his voice sounded.

Joshua walked quietly over to the door leading into the adjoining room, but paused. His mind hurt but it paled in comparison to the pain centralizing in his heart. It took him a moment of standing there before the brilliant Joshua Kiryu realized what the agonizing throbbing was. He chuckled weakly at the mere thought. To think that he actually had to _think_ about what the pain was when it obviously was that of his heart breaking without his say.

Back outside, Neku sat in the middle of the Room of Reckoning feeling like an utter bastard. He growled in frustration and pulled at his orange hair. He realized he had hurt the Composer with his silence but he had been far too confused to say anything. Just what was he supposed to say to something like that? It wasn't even because it was _Joshua_ saying The Words; in all fifteen years of his life, Neku Sakuraba had never gotten a single confession.

He punched the floor. Worse still, he basically rejected him right after he _encouraged_ him to confess, with his stupid talk of trying new things. He was thinking about _carpets_, for heaven's sake. Shakily, Neku got to his feet, mindful of the healing wound in his abdomen and started to limp in the direction of Joshua's rooms. It would only make things worse if Neku avoided him.

Joshua stared up at the ceiling once he arrived in his room. He lifted a pale hand aimlessly, mentally drawing notes into the air. His eyes remained devoid of all conviction--he had lost the ability to openly display negative emotions, namely grief and depression. Still, the apathy that shrouded him was more than enough.

Then came a timid knock from the door. "Joshua?" Neku questioned, muffled through the wood. "Can we talk?"

Joshua sucked in a deep breath. "Come in," he stated simply.

The handle turned and a head of messy spikes poked in. "Uh, hey," Neku said sheepishly.

"Hello, Neku," Joshua responded, resting uncomfortably against his bed.

Neku looked around the lavishly decorated room, stalling for time. He stepped in, carefully closing the door behind him, looking everywhere but at Joshua. "About... about what you said..."

Joshua breathed in and then out. "What about it?"

"I..." Neku hadn't gotten much more eloquent then when Joshua had confessed to him. He took a deep, steadying breath. "I... I don't hate you," he managed to say.

"That's good," Joshua reasoned, hand lifting to aimlessly play with one of his silver hair, being no more eloquent than Neku was.

Neku winced at how bad his words sounded. "That... that didn't come out right. What I meant was..." He trailed off again, not really knowing what he had meant.

Joshua paused and glanced over to Neku, eyes settling upon the Conductor. "Hm?"

"I... I don't know, alright?" Neku decided to be honest. He held a hand to his head, feeling dizzy. "You know what? Forget this; scoot over."

Joshua blinked and did as instructed, shifting on the bed to allow Neku beside him. He said nothing.

Neku climbed in, and realized the bedcovers were probably worth more than his house. "I'm way too tired right now, so I'm going to sleep. And since I lent you my bed, you have to lend me yours." He made himself comfortable lying next to the Composer and pulled a sheet to his chin.

Joshua rolled his eyes and smirked lightly at his Conductor. "...Did you read the note I gave you?" he questioned calmly.

"I never got the time to," Neku muttered, burying his face in Joshua's soft pillows and made a delighted noise in his throat.

Joshua shifted closer, watching the red-head with amusement. "Read it," he urged.

"Ugh..." Neku groaned, shifting around in the bed. "Can't you just tell me? Notes are for people who aren't lying right next to you."

"Read it," Joshua reiterated, hand reaching out to lightly touch Neku's hair.

"Lemme sleep," the Conductor's voice came out in a soft whine.

"It's short, I promise," the Composer cooed and stroked his hand lazily through Neku's hair, still a bit uneasy.

"...will read it when I wake up," Neku mumbled out, about to drift off, lulled by the Joshua's ministrations. "'s nice."

"Fine, I'll just tell you," the silveret huffed, fingers drifting in and out of the strokes. He shifted closer, placing his mouth near the Conductor's ear. He was silent for a moment, struggling with the two words he had refused to say to Neku _once_. "...I'm sorry."

For a moment, it looked like Neku was already asleep. Then he opened his eyes and simply looked at the Composer for what seemed like hours. "I'm never going to sleep at this rate, aren't I?" he said finally. With some effort, he propped himself up on his elbows. He hesitated for a moment, before he did the only thing he could think to convince the other that he was sincere. Pushing himself closer, he brushed their lips together in a brief and clumsy kiss. "I forgive you," Neku stated quietly, cheeks dusted a pale pink.

The Composer's eyes widened and he just laid there in shock, blinking illogically at his Conductor, lips tingling still. "Neku..." he began, his voice quiet and shaky. His heart rate jumped a few hundred beats and he found it hard to breathe all of a sudden. He said nothing more and slipped his pale up and onto Neku's cheek, letting his thumb stroke against it briefly before he pulled his Conductor closer for a chaste kiss, letting it linger as he allowed the sensation of Neku's lips to register in his head as something real.

Neku blinked bemusedly before closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation. "I don't hate you, Joshua," he murmured against the other's lips.

"Then what _do_ you feel?" Joshua breathed softly as he brushed their lips together once again, refusing to break contact with his Conductor.

Neku grinned into the kiss. "What do you think?"

"Hm...I don't know," Joshua hummed, giving a gentle nip to the other's bottom lip.

"Well, since _everyone's_ been saying it," Neku reasoned lips parting slightly to give Joshua better access, "They've probably seen something I missed."

"Maybe you're just too stubborn to admit it," Joshua suggested in a murmur as he gave a deft lick to the teen's lip teasingly.

"Maybe," Neku said agreeably. Feeling bold, he ran a hand through Joshua's silvery locks and marveled at the softness.

Joshua sighed pleasantly against the kiss, an actual smile forming on his lips as he pressed them to Neku's once more. "Perhaps Sanae won't have to convince your father otherwise after all..."

"Dad hates it when he's wrong, anyway," Neku laughed. He broke the kiss and rested his head on Joshua's shoulder. "Are you going to let me sleep now?"

"If you hadn't just saved my life, I would say no, but considering you're the hero yet again...I'll let you," Joshua decided, hand trailing gently down Neku's side as he breathed in his scent.

"Mmkay," Neku mumbled. "This time, be here when I wake up." And finally, sleep claimed him.

..

That's all for now, folks, though an epilogue is currently in the works. In the mean time... if you have a moment, it would be really, really nice if you could tell us what you think. Thanks for reading!


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